Alive
by Chibi-Kari
Summary: He was supposed to be dead not walking down a hallway to have a cuppa with his brother and father. Now Gene must search for Mai and answers in a world where she is forgotten. R&R! Part 2 up!
1. Chapter 1

**Chibi-Kari: Hello and welcome to another wild ride with twists at every turn! Gene is our main character this time around. Note: I'm using the British names in this chapter for realism! I don't own, but I would love reviews and feedback!!! Chapter two is already written so just give me some love and I'll keep the updates coming!**

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**Alive**

**Chapter 1**

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He woke up in a flurry of movement, throwing off his covers and placing his over heated feet on the cool wood floor of his bedroom. He shivered slightly, tossing his black hair out of his face with a jerk of his head. It was extremely cold for February in England and the night air was seeping into his blue striped pyjamas causing him to shiver. But he couldn't focus on that, all he could do was look around in a blind panic.

"Gene, what's wrong?" A groggy voice rang out from the other end of the room as a lamp was turned on to reveal a mirror reflection of the panicked boy.

He brought his slightly red hands in front of his face and turned them back and forth, "This isn't right. What's going on?"

The other boy got out of bed and made his way, padding softly across the room towards his brother, "Gene. Did you see something?"

The sound of his brother's voice so close snapped him out of the fruitless examination of his hands, "Noll?" He blinked a few times just looking at his identical brother standing above him. It took him a few moments to realize the full implications of his brother standing in that particular room with him. "No no no no no." Gene stood quickly and pushed past his brother making his way out into the hallway ignoring the way the door slammed against the wall. His feet padded across the carpeted hallway as he made his way for the first floor.

He could vaguely hear sounds in the hall he left behind as he quickly started to take the stairs two by two.

"Noll, honey, what's wrong with Gene?" A soft feminine voice almost brought Gene to tears as he made a dash to the front door.

"I don't know, mother. He woke up in a state." The voice of his twin filtered through the house.

He was within feet of the front door when his father's office door opened right in front of him. An older man came out, his black hair peppered with gray, and stood in front of Gene blinking slightly, "Gene, what's going on?"

The footsteps that followed him down the stairs came to a stop behind him and he turned to see his mother and brother staring at him and jumped slightly as his father's hand came to rest on his shoulder.

"Come on son; let's get a cuppa in you. You'll feel better." His strong commanding voice was one thing Gene had missed, but this...whatever it was wasn't right and he didn't understand how he got here. And a cup of tea certainly wouldn't make him feel any better, not when he had no idea what was going on.

His father gently pushed him the opposite direction towards the kitchen where his mother had run off to as soon as his father said the word cuppa. It was a silent and solemn short walk that vaguely reminded him of a funeral march. But this wasn't one because he was still alive. Gene suddenly had the urge to burst out into hysterical laughter. He was supposed to be dead not walking down a hallway to have a cuppa with his brother and father and the irony wasn't lost on him.

He was quickly thrust into one of the wooden chairs that his mother had claimed was nostalgic of an older time with a steaming cup of tea sitting in front of him. Three teaspoons of sugar and a splash of 1% milk, just how he liked it. Gene stared in wonder at his family sitting across from him silently.

His mother's blue eyes looked at him sadly, "Was it another one of those dreams, dear?"

"One of those dreams?" He questioned blankly. What was going on?

"A ghost needing help moving on?" She looked slightly confused at his puzzled expression.

Gene leaned back as realization swept over him. He did always have horrible nightmares when a spirit needed help, but that was before he died. Before Mai.

Her name echoing in his head snapped him back into his original panic, "No. No of course not. This isn't right! What's going on? I should be dead! What did she do!?"

"What do you mean you should be dead? What's wrong with you tonight?" Naru's eyes narrowed and his voice was strained.

"When I went to Japan there was a car. I died!" Gene leaned over the table focusing on his brother, pleading for him to verify his death.

"When you went to Japan? That was two years ago, Gene, and I know for a fact that you didn't die. You came back."

Two years. Gene studied his brother for a moment and could see it. Instead of a seventeen year old boy sitting in front of him there was a nineteen year old man calmly staring back at him. Or as calmly as was possible when your brother was claiming he had died years before.

"You had a bad dream, son." His father shook him slightly and smiled encouragingly.

All he could do was shake his head in denial. "No. No, I didn't. She did this. Oh God, how did she do this? Where is she?"

"Who, love?" His mother tried to ease his panic with a soothing voice she wasn't quite managing. His entire family shared another uneasy look.

"Mai! Oh God I need to find Mai! She can't be alone." Gene held his head in his hands pulling on the dark strands.

"Who's Mai?" Noll's voiced the question before glancing at their parents and meeting their equally blank features.

Gene couldn't bring himself to answer. The idea of his brother not knowing who Mai was, was almost painful. She was the girl that lit up Noll's world during that bleak depression that steamed from his death. Although his brother would never admit it, Gene knew that Noll had loved her and if he hadn't been obsessed with finding Gene things would have gone differently.

In a moment of hysterical dramatics, Gene placed his head on the table and did the only thing he could bring himself to do: deny the situation and hope it went away.

Sometime during his denial he must have fallen asleep as the next thing he knew light was shining on the wooden table and his brother was having a hushed conversation with someone.

"He just kept repeating that he should be dead and there was some girl and this was obviously her fault."

"A girl?" A deep voice questioned softly and it took Gene a moment to realize it was their Chinese co-worker, Lin. Gene hoped against all hopes that somehow Lin would remember Mai. Whatever she had done shouldn't be able to change the memories of his familiars, thus giving him some reminder of the small girl. They were outside the realm of time that humans were tied to. Lin just had to remember.

"Maya…or Mea. Wait no Mai. Yes, that's what he called her and he was babbling about Japan." Noll had obviously been more shaken than Gene first considered since he was missing facts as simple as a name and that was something the idiot scientist hated...forgetfulness, "Do you think it could be pre-cognitive? Should we watch out for this girl?"

There was a moment of silence and Gene prayed that something was coming back to the tall man, "No, I don't think so. From what you said he seems to believe that this girl is the reason he's alive."

His brother hmmmed contemplatively, "That's true."

There was a rustle of movement before it died down again and Gene could hear the click of a teacup on the counter, "It would seem to me that he's having a bit of a breakdown."

"I'm not!" Gene stood up catching both men off guard as his chair fell to the ground with a clunk. "She's real and I have to find her!"

Noll shook his head slightly, "Gene you aren't making any sense. Why do you need to find this girl?"

"She needs me! Whatever she did to bring me back leaves her alone! I can't leave her alone."

"Why can't she be alone? Explain this to me, Gene! How do you even know this girl exists! You just keep claiming you were dead!" Noll's voice boomed through the kitchen. Gene had never had a row like this before with his brother and it was slightly shocking to hear Noll, his stoic and together brother, raise his voice.

"I know this, Oliver, because I was her spirit guide. And why can't she be alone you ask? Because she can't control her powers and they're growing too rapidly. What she did, whatever she did, to bring me back to life was with good intentions I'm sure, but it can kill her."

Lin stepped forward, "How rapidly are they growing?" His research was in growth of powers and he had helped Noll learn to control his at a young age. Of course Lin would show interest in this. Gene idly wondered why Lin hadn't tried to help her when they knew each other. He could only attribute it to Noll's mad obsession. It probably blinded Lin too. Or maybe it was Mai's secretive nature. Either way it was fruitless to follow that train of thought.

"Too fast and too many. Within two months of astral projection on to the spiritual plane she was able to pass a physical object to someone on the physical plane." It still had amazed Gene when she handed that key to Masako. He hadn't expected her to do that and lately he had noticed that Mai was starting to phase through objects while awake. It was dangerous that her spiritual powers were so vast that they were starting to interfere with her everyday physical life.

"She can apport? Are you sure?" Lin seemed dubious. It was general understanding that being able to apport was a rare ability that very few had seen in person. No one in the entire British SPR had seen one. Or at least that Lin and Naru could remember seeing.

"She doesn't only apport but she can project herself, is a medium, and a clairvoyant among other things."

"That's impossible, Gene. Are you sure you didn't just dream her up?" Noll shook his head slightly. It was a strange mix of abilities and one alone is rare, but adding them in a list was one in a billion.

Gene could feel the anger for his brother bubble within him and he could tell by the widening of his brother's eyes that he could too, "I didn't dream her up and I need to find her before she walks through a bloody wall and gets stuck!"

"Calm down, Gene." His father's voice made him jump slightly as he turned to face the man that had raised him, "Where would she be?"

"Japan. She was in Shibuya, Tokyo. You believe me? I need to find her." Gene was getting desperate. He almost wished he got the entire day to do over. If he had he wouldn't have made such a big deal; he would have just gone back to Tokyo, found her, and brought her forcibly back to England with him. Easy, end of story, and no one would have realized there was something wrong. He just had to find her, bring her back, and protect her.

Martin held up his hand stopping his son's train of thought, "You say that you need to find her, so we'll find her. What's her name? How old is she?"

"Taniyama Mai. She would be 18."

"What about her parents? Where would she be?"

"She doesn't have parents." Suddenly a thought struck Gene, "Oh God. If she brought me back she might have erased all signs of herself! I don't know where she'd be hiding or if she's even okay!"

His father remained calm, "If she's 18 chances are she's enrolled in a school and even if she did bring you back she couldn't change her name and age. Her birth, in theory, would be too important."

Gene narrowed his eyes. His father didn't believe him, but at least he would look for her. Once he found her he could fix this. "Let me go look for her while you search records for her."

"No, Gene. With the state you're in I don't want you wandering around Japan looking for some girl. I can only imagine the trouble you'd find yourself in. I let you gallivant off to Japan once and your mother still hasn't forgiven me." His father shook his head decisively.

"I'm nineteen and legally you can't keep me here." Gene challenged his father for the first time in his life. Out of the corner of his eye he could see his brother studying him.

"I can legally keep you here as you don't have a pence to your name. How do you suggest getting on a plane and flying there if you don't have money?" His father always was one step ahead.

"Dad, I'll go with him. Lin and I." The Chinese man's eyes widened as he focused on Noll, "I've always wanted to open a branch of the ESPR. Now would be a good time and Japan has some interesting ideas with the entire ghost curse superstition. We can research if there is any truth to that. It'll make a good scholarly article for next year's journal."

Martin looked contemplative and Gene glanced between them. "One year, Gene. You have one year to try and find this girl and then you forget about it. Noll you have one year to get the branch up and running and then you are to hire a staff to take over it. Your mother would kill me if I allowed you two to stay over there longer than that. Lin, are you okay with this?"

He was silent for a moment, his hatred was deeply ingrained but Noll and Gene obviously needed him. He sighed heavily, "We're going to Japan."

Noll nodded curtly before looking at his brother closely. He didn't believe him, but he knew Gene too well. No matter what anyone said he was going to end up in Japan and Noll couldn't take the chance that it was somehow a pre-cognitive dream.

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**TBC**

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**Chibi-Kari: Leave me a review and tell me what you think! Pretty please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chibi-Kari: Thanks for the wonderful feedback...so I guess I lead some of you to believe this will be a Gene/Mai...maybe...or maybe it'll be a smack down. We all know Naru doesn't like to lose! I had issues with this chapter when I wrote it and editing was just as hard! I have chapter 3 written and I'm going to try to keep a chapter in reserve before I post so there are no delays like my last story. There are song lyrics in this chapter because the song was my inspiration...but hopefully they won't be too noticeable! I don't own and please drop me a review!

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**Chapter 2

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It had been five months already and Noll could feel his brother get more and more frustrated with every day. Gene had quickly found Noll a staff consisting of a monk, miko, medium, exorcist, and a young college boy to do filing. Everyone was working out rather well, but he still felt something was missing it was so strong, yet fleeting that he spent most of his days trying to ignore that nagging feeling. To say things weren't going perfectly would be an understatement; his brother's attitude was deteriorating every day. At first he would snap at Takigawa and Matsuzaki periodically, but Noll thought that his brother was probably in the right when he did those things. Those two could be absolutely infuriating when they started to fight with each other. But the other day things had gone too far. Gene had started yelling at the poor young priest for no reason other than his own frustration. It was starting to get out of hand.

Noll had a sneaking suspicion that these people were all part of Gene's 'dream' and that was part of Gene's issue. Actually, if Noll was to be honest with himself, it was a little unnerving that Gene knew exactly who these people were and little facts about them without prior meetings. Not to mention where to find them. It almost made his story seem...true and Noll didn't want to believe that for one moment. It was just too far fetched. And if there was anything that Oliver Davis stood by it would be logic. Gene's story was the farthest thing from logic that he could see.

Gene was absolutely out of control with the story. On one of their first cases at a school, Gene had taken off after a girl with short brown hair. The poor girl was distraught when Gene caught up with her and spun her around shaking her slightly. He was in an even worse mood after that. They had almost been thrown off the case and their father had been absolutely beside himself. Gene got lectured for a few hours by Martin about the reputation of the ESPR and how they needed to conduct them as professionals. Naru had wished he got that lecture. Instead he was subjected to the administration and their long winded speech about how they understood that hormones play a part in life at that age, but they were there to conduct business and the girls were there to study not be accosted by young men. It was the first time in Noll's life that he ever cursed the fact that he was a bloody twin.

He had let Gene get away with his actions up to that moment, but it was about time he got some answers. Noll had carefully been avoiding his brother's glares for the past five months and it was going to end now. No more sneaking into the office and timing his exit from rooms as his brother entered. Now he was going to have Gene lay everything out on the table and tell him what all the problems were. This was getting ridiculous and Noll was beginning to think there was more to Gene's secret girl than he was saying.

He stole out of the CEO office carefully making his way to the office Gene shared with Lin. He took a quick breath before forcefully opening the door.

Lin jumped slightly as Gene turned to glare at his brother.

"Gene, we need to talk." Noll tried his best to be commanding, but his brother never once listened to him. Gene always challenged him it was something he, under normal conditions, loved about his brother. Right now he wasn't so fond of the trait.

Gene met his brother's stare before leaning back and raising his hand in a sweeping movement.

"In private."

"Here is fine, Noll. What do you need?" His brother's voice was tight and cold; reminding him of his own professional tone. It was upsetting because his brother was the welcoming twin...the less reserved.

"Whatever it is you're upset about needs to stop. This girl-"

"Mai."

Naru waved his hand dismissively, "Mai. She obviously doesn't exist. Father couldn't find record of her in any school in all of Japan. And there are several girls with that name that are eighteen at the moment. It's a common name, Gene. You dreamt it up. Or maybe you met her here two years ago. Either way you aren't going to find her and you need to stop treating my staff like dirt. And whatever your issue is with me you need to just get it out. This is ridiculous. Absolutely mad!" Naru huffed slightly at the end of his tirade. His brother was so tiring and he was almost certain he would be sprouting gray hairs by the end of the week with all this stress. Sure, he could easily pull off the distinguished look, but he didn't want to.

Gene leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his thighs and propping his chin up with his clasped hands, "You still think I'm making her up? After everything I've known and shown you about people here in Japan. How do you think I found all of your staff? How I knew where the monk would be. How many monks do you know that play the base guitar? How about Brown-san and how I knew which orphanage he was currently working at. Are all of these coincidences, Noll? I know you don't believe in coincidences. How about you use that logic you love so much." He was calm as he stared at his brother.

"Are you telling me that all these people are tied to this Mai girl? Are you telling me that every single one of them don't know where she is? And yet you still keep them around. This was all some grand scheme to find this girl and is failing. Is that what you're trying to tell me?" Noll had a sneaking suspicion that that was what happened, but he could barely believe his brother would be as sly to actually do all of that.

Gene nodded tightly, "It wasn't to find her, though. I knew none of them would lead me to her. If she didn't come directly to me she certainly wasn't going to any of them. It was to see if they remembered her." He shook his head slightly, "They've all forgotten her. As if she never even existed."

"How was she connected to them, Gene? Maybe it will help us find her." Lin's voice was solid. He had started believing Gene after two months in. He couldn't explain why, but something was almost nudging him. Telling him that Gene was speaking the truth. Lin never denied his feelings. In ghost hunting denying your feelings could lead to disaster. And during his spells he had to be in tuned to everything around him, including himself. He couldn't just push something aside.

Gene laughed a little sardonically, "You still don't know? Haven't realized? She was a part of your team. You were all a team for over a year."

Noll stepped forward, "You're telling me that we were all a team once?! You're sitting here telling me that a girl was working for me that was connected to my dead brother was here for over a year and I didn't try to get you to move on?"

"Of course she was, although you never even knew I was her spirit guide. You came here looking for my body and barely focused on gathering evidence for father."

"How did she never tell me? If I came here looking for you how could she not tell me that you were contacting her!" Noll looked disgusted as he shook his head slightly.

"She didn't know that I was not you until you left to bring my body back. Then she confronted me. Actually I think she might have suspected all along, but didn't question it. She had amazing instincts and could do almost anything she set her mind to. And, Noll, she didn't tell you a lot. It was one of the reasons you were constantly fighting with her. She tended to edit anything and everything she said." Gene's voiced dropped to just above a whisper, "To keep everyone happy. She wanted everyone to be happy."

"Then why would I keep her on? If we fought, she didn't properly do her job, and I didn't know she was connected to you why would I keep her on?" Noll looked genuinely puzzled.

Gene's eyes narrowed and his voice grew frosty, "Maybe you liked her tea."

Lin looked between the two boys uncomfortably before clearing his throat, "Gene, do you remember what she said to you before it happened? Did she say anything? Did you even hear from her? How do you know that this girl did it and it wasn't something else?"

Gene nodded slightly as he leaned back in his chair, "She appeared to me that same night I woke up. Or it wasn't the same night. It doesn't matter. The last memory I have is her appearing to me. I thought she would be mad because she figured out who I was and you both had left that same afternoon. I thought she would come to me screaming or crying, but she didn't. She was absolutely calm just standing there in front of me. I started to walk towards her but she held up her hand to stop me and she told me that she didn't hate me. That she just wanted to save me while there was still something left to save. It was slightly odd, but I thought she was worried about me moving on. You guys had always told her that if people didn't move on they would become corrupt, twisted by the emotions around them. I thought she was trying to force me to move on, but instead she shook her head and started to cry. That's when I realized she wanted answers and a reason to hold on to what she had. She wanted something from me that I couldn't give her. All I could tell her was that I wasn't the answer for the questions that she still had. She couldn't hold on to me like that."

Lin's fingers hovered over the keys, "That's it? How do you know it was her then?"

Gene shook his head slightly, "I feel it in my heart. Actually, I feel it humming in every part of me. And that's not all that happened. What she said next didn't make much sense to me, but I think it might be why I'm back. I think it was a spell or something. I'm not sure."

"What did she say?" Naru's voice was subdued and his eyes unnaturally wide, for once Gene thought his brother believed him.

"But the day pressed on like crushing weights, for no man does it ever wait. Like memories of dying days that deafen us like hurricanes bathed in flames we held the brand. Uncurled the fingers in your hand pressed into the flesh like sand. Now do you understand? It sounds strange, right?" Gene shook his head. He had gone over it several times, but never could understand what it meant.

Lin paused, "It's an incantation. It sounds similar to things my father found in the small islands to the west. They had a secluded and very diverse culture. Everyone knew each other and my father said their incantations were very interesting. The usage of day would represent time. It then sounds like removal of suffering." He shook his head slightly in disbelief, "It sounds like she removed the incident completely. That's completely impossible, though."

"Why would someone do something like this?" Naru's voice was awed slightly. As he listened to Lin dissect the incantation he had a moment of complete respect for this girl. Incantations like those had heavy consequences and she did it for someone she wasn't related to. Hell, Lin was right; he hadn't even heard of a successful resurrection of a person or removal of a complete event. Most of the time death of the caster was the only outcome to spells like that.

"For you." Gene stared at his brother harshly, the venomous words spilling out of his mouth shocked Noll. And Gene hoped it hurt.

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**TBC

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**Chibi-Kari: Like I said...don't count on Gene being the winner of this fight just because Naru doesn't remember her!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chibi-Kari: Sorry for the delay; I've been having a crazy time with work and school. Don't expect another update until next week because I'll be in Edinburgh this weekend. I don't own, but I do have to get up at like 4:30 in the morning to catch a train...yuck.

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**Chapter 3

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They had sat there in silence for a few moments before Gene stormed out of the room leaving two slightly stunned men in his wake. Noll sat down with a plop on the chair recently vacated by his brother. Gene would disappear for hours looking for this girl that had obviously given up aspects of her life for him and then return in a huff. It was a sick sad cycle that Noll thought need to end.

"Why would she do that for me? That doesn't make sense." Noll tried to grasp the situation, but he couldn't seem to understand what exactly his brother was trying to say to him. Why would a girl bring his brother back to life for him and possibly erase her entire existence?

Lin shifted uncomfortably; he had already drawn the obvious conclusion that Noll was having a hard time finding. There was a reason Gene called his brother an idiot scientist. Noll's social skills were lacking more often than not. "I know you don't want to hear this, but I believe him."

Noll's eyes shifted to Lin and he nodded briefly, "I think I might, also. There is just too much to ignore, but it hardly seems possible, Lin. Powers like Gene claims she has are one in a million, if that even. And successfully bringing him back to life." He shook his head lightly in disbelief. "How would she even find out about something like that? Not to mention, how did we not do something about her? If I knew she had powers like what Gene claims I would have brought her to father. I just don't understand the situation." He clasped his hands together and leaned forward slightly, a habit he had picked up years ago. His mother liked to tease him and call it his thinking pose.

Lin shook his head slightly, "You would subject her to being tested like a guinea pig. The way Gene talks about the situation we had going on I highly doubt that. And do you think you were focused on what was going on? Gene said you came looking for him and that that was where your focus lay, not with the cases or even this girl."

Lin spoke the truth even if Noll didn't want to accept it. It was hard to believe that he would do his work...his father's legacy so half-heartedly. After a moment he nodded, "That may be the case."

Lin sighed. He could read Oliver Davis like an open book. Gene always surprised him and kept him on his toes, but Noll was constant. He was all about logic, "How you may or may not have acted under another set of circumstances is hardly the issue. What we need to focus on is this girl. We need to find her. It doesn't sound as if she's thought everything through. The way Gene's described her makes me think that she rarely did. A leap first think later personality, but to hide herself like this is strange. This was planning. Gene said she was secretive, but the real question is how secretive was she really. How did she even discover how to bring him back? Many people have looked into this for decades and all for naught. How did a single girl find out in a matter of hours, since Gene said it was the same day we were taking his body back to England. If we can find out how she found the information maybe we can find a trace of who she really is and where we can find her."

Noll looked dubious, "If all the researchers in the world couldn't figure out how to do what she supposedly did, how do you expect we should? Google resurrection and see what results we get?"

Lin resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the young man before him and truly had to bite his tongue so he didn't retort that Googling resurrection spells would give better results. "We can look at the similarities between the practices. We have all the research done by past generations at the click of a button. We already know her incantation. We just don't know anything about what happens after. There has to be sources somewhere out there, especially in the western isles. I believe my father mentioned Nishinoshima, Chibu, and Ama during his research into different countries incantation and rituals. The older generations still remember even though the people our age aren't aware of the practices. She could have contacted someone. Maybe I had files or research. Once again the possibilities are limitless. If she had access to our offices and files I have no idea what she could have gotten into." Lin shook his head slightly in disgust. If she had managed to access the files and it was his fault it would be such a massive moment of negligence that he couldn't even begin to grasp it. If things had failed and she died the blood would have been on his own hands and that fact bothered him, even if he couldn't remember the girl.

Noll looked contemplative for a moment before nodding, "Gather the files. It seems we have some work to do. I'll contact the others. If she had contact with them some of their viewpoints may be of service to us. Who knows what she took from around her and what was read."

Lin nodded before turning to his computer. Noll stood. He had a few phone calls to make and a lot of work to do. Gene could do the explaining when he came back because he certainly didn't plan to.

Hours later found everyone, except Gene, in the main area of the SPR office. They were all scattered looking through the files in front of them trying to find some important information.

Takigawa sat back on the couch with a huff, racking his hand through his shoulder length hair, "I don't see the point in this, Naru. There's nothing similar in all of this crap other than the fact that it doesn't work because the sacrifice doesn't seem to be great enough. Who would do something like this, anyway? Goes against nature." He mumbled the last part to himself before getting smacked by Matsuzaki. "Ow, Ayako. What was that for?"

"You were asked to look through papers not waste time dissecting a hypothetical situation." She rolled her eyes and fanned herself with the papers in her hand.

"She's only making a fuss, Bou-san, because she doesn't want to work." Masako commented snidely behind her sleeve.

"It's not like she's ever useful." Bou-san mumbled before receiving another glare from the redheaded woman.

Noll resisted the urge to throw them all out. If it wasn't bad enough he had to put up with their antics; he also had to deal with the mispronunciation of his nickname. He didn't understand how they could get the L in Lin correct and had no problem with Gene's name, but his had morphed into this Naru. It was irritating to say the least, but at least he knew they were trying. Or at least that's what he told himself every time it came tumbling out of one of their mouths. Sadly even John had taken to using the mispronunciation instead of his real name and the man spoke English as his first language.

"I've asked you all here for a purpose, not to have a discussion about completing the work I gave you." This was becoming more of a hassle than it was worth.

John's gaze had been focused on the young CEO since he began to speak. The young priest could tell that he was frustrated and it was beginning to show, "Maybe if you enlightened us on the situation, Naru, we could work faster. If we knew what we were looking for it might be easier."

Noll shared a glance with Lin. He had really wanted his brother here to explain things. It would have been easier. Noll just wasn't sure if he would be able to answer any or all of their questions regarding the situation. He sighed slightly, "We're looking for someone."

Yasuhara was the first to connect the dots in his head, "So whoever this is successfully resurrected someone and now you're looking to find them?"

The room took on an unsettling silence as they all turned to look at Lin and Noll. "It would seem that there is a girl that was able to remove the incident causing the death." He tried to keep it vague to stop the onslaught of questions that he could seem boiling within the monk and miko.

"Who-" "Why-" Both started at the same time and Noll could feel a headache coming on.

"We aren't looking in the right place, then." John replied simply as he tossed the file he was holding on to the floor.

The room was silent before Lin leaned forward, "Why do you say that, Brown-san?"

"There is too great a sacrifice required for a resurrection, not to mention that's not what Naru just said this girl did. She removed the incident causing the death. Isn't there something simpler? Couldn't she have just removed the incident and the resurrection was a product of that fact? That seems more likely to be successful."

Lin sat there for a full moment before looking over at Noll. "He's right." He shook his head scoffing slightly, "It's ingenious, but there still would have been a high likelihood of failure. There would be a large sacrifice and who knows what else would have been a cause of this, but Brown-san is right. That has to be what she did. She altered the world around her by removing an accident, not by bringing someone back to life. The power she had to harness to do this...still-"

Once again Oliver Davis found himself in awe of this girl. She found a loophole that gave her the power do give him his brother. The power to change the world as she knew it. She was intriguing. How did he let someone with this much potential out of his sight? Even his grief stricken self couldn't have been stupid and blind. Noll mentally scoffed, he wasn't stupid at all. This Mai girl obviously kept a lot to herself. She was like a puzzle and Noll loved mysteries. He had so much to ask her when they found her. First, how she did this. Followed quickly by a why in the world.

Noll jumped slightly as the door behind him clattered shut, "That's right. That must be what Mai did because she wouldn't have let everything else happen if she had thought about it." Gene walked into the room with a stack of papers in his hand. He casually threw them in the middle of the table.

Noll watched the others pull papers from the pile, but kept his gaze focused on his brother who sat down next to Lin looking slightly green.

"Oh I remember this. Last year that entire school slaughtered each other. It was all over the news. It was strange they were missing for half a week and then they all appear and murdered each other. I remember the news footage. Horrible." Takigawa nodded to himself while grimacing at the reminder.

"Here's a file on Yuasa High. I remember when they closed down the school after that girl got caught in the train door and was killed. And a few other students and teachers went crazy. They said something about chemicals in the school or something causing that. It was really sad." Matsuzaki shook her head slightly.

"This is my old school." Yasuhara's eyes were wide as he looked down at the file. It shook in his hands, "I didn't know they had a death a year."

"What's all of this, Gene?" Noll didn't understand how this was even relevant to the girl they were looking for.

"These were your cases, the people you saved or potentially saved. I came to the same conclusion, that she just changed the car crash, when I saw all of this. All these people died because she brought me back. Because she removed herself from the situation. This is what happened. All of this and more was because she wanted to save me."

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**TBC

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**Chibi-Kari: Please drop me a line! Oh and I'm thinking of posting a little one-shot Lin humor fic!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chibi-Kari: Hello again! Here is another chapter, yet for some reason I still don't own. I'm going against my own rule right now and updating before I have the next chapter done, but I will start writing ASAP!**

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**Chapter 4**

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The silence that was brought on my Gene's statement was short lived as Masako leaned forward, her eyes growing dangerously small, "All these lives were lost for yours? This girl, wherever she is and if she's even still alive, let all of this happen to save you?" Her voice was cold and Bou-san shuddered.

"Yes." The reply was simple and not quite what Masako was looking for, but it was all that Gene could give the young medium. And it wasn't as if he didn't understand the horrendous truth of the action, but Mai was still more important than all the lives that were lost. He knew her better than anyone in this room did or ever could and he knew she was worth more than those people...than even these people. He would have been more upset if the only option of his life was her death. "I understand what you're saying. Thinking even. She wouldn't have known that this would happen. She isn't the type of person to let something like this happen or even think about it. The one thing you respected about her was her ability to care extensively about people dead or alive. You supported that in each other. She, even, almost died saving you once."

The young medium pulled herself up slightly in a haughty manner, "If your theory is correct then I would be dead if she saved me."

Gene shook his head slightly, "No. That case never happened. I took care of it before it became an issue and it was impossible for the same set of circumstances. Everyone knows my brother is Oliver Davis. They didn't before and, instead, there was a man masquerading around as him. With my brother's identity in the open it was impossible. I guess you can say that two lives were saved because of this, though. Two lives that were lost on that case."

Masako contemplated that momentarily before nodding. "Tell me about her."

Gene resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her. He knew how much she had cared about his brother before, but now, in this world she could barely stomach either of the twins. It probably helped that Noll didn't have to put up with her antics and quite literally told her so the first time she tried. And Gene, on the other hand, wasn't her type at all. He could see Mai gaining a good friend at the end of this. There wasn't anything left for them to fight over. "She's 18 with brown hair and an entrancing smile. When she walks into a room it's like she brings her own light. Her name is Taniyama Mai."

Ayako narrowed her eyes slightly as she nodded. Womanly instincts were ringing and telling her that Gene had feelings for this girl. She wouldn't comment, yet. There was something off and it mostly had to do with the two brother's relationship. Things could get ugly and she could see it already. Why she wasn't exactly sure, though. She was sure of one thing: the entire story wasn't being told. "Did she have any abilities? Any reason she would belong to the SPR?"

"When she was first hired it was mostly for filing and office work, but she quickly showed psychic abilities. You and Bou-san were able to teach her defensive spells and within minutes she was able to pick them up."

Bou-san sat back with a whistle, "Impressive. Minutes, you say?" At the nod he received he looked contemplative, "It really is rare for someone to pick up defensive abilities so quickly. You said she had psychic powers? Defensive like precognition? Maybe she just had an affinity towards that."

"She has an affinity towards anything." Gene laughed sardonically, "She's more powerful than anyone I've ever seen. I just didn't think she had realized it. Or at least I hoped she wouldn't realize it before someone else noticed." He sent a slight glare towards Lin who flinched in response before turning his attention back to the others. "She can apport, project herself, sees spirits, and is a clairvoyant. And before she brought me back, her spiritual powers started affecting her daily life." He looked down. There just wasn't anything good about this situation. She could be God knows where and probably in trouble. "She has an affinity for trouble most of all. If there isn't any where she is it will come to her."

John looked contemplative and a little troubled. He really didn't want to ask the question, but Gene's vague statement begged of it, "How was it affecting her daily life?"

The resulting silence was heavy. It seemed that no one else had even thought of it and Gene was certainly averse to answer it. He sighed slightly, "She accidentally put her hand through a desk."

Lin sucked in breath noisily and turned to face the twin, "You mean she started phasing through things?"

It wasn't so much a question just a moment of angry disbelief and Gene was uncomfortable, "Yes."

Lin sat back angrily. Gene was speaking of an instance that he should have noticed. The girl was doing this right in front of him and he missed it. This was more than dangerous and now he could understand how upset the boy was. This girl needed to be found before she did serious harm to herself. It shouldn't have even gone that far without coming to his attention. He could have sealed her powers before he taught her how to use them. How to control them or at least not panic. He made a mistake and this could be deadly. He turned to look at Noll and saw the same look in his eyes. Now it wasn't something to just pacify Gene. They had to find her for her safety and quite possibly the safety of others.

Masako broke the panic that had seemed to consume the room, "Why don't we look at birth records?"

Gene leaned back shaking his head slightly, "My father looked through them and said that there were several Mai's and none of them were enrolled in a school."

Masako looked confused slightly, "But why would he look at schools? If she doesn't want to be found that would be the first place she'd get out of as soon as possible. If you could figure out which Mai was her then you could track where she is. To live and function she would need to have a job. Or if she was married. All of this can be traced if you look through government records."

Gene was somewhere between infuriated and absolutely shocked. His father obviously was only trying to placate him and not actually find the girl. If he had he would have thought of this.

Noll looked over at his brother. He knew exactly what his twin was thinking and having him storm out to call his father and have a tiff wouldn't be helpful to anyone, "Gene, don't."

He was met by his brother's angry gaze, "He didn't even try! He couldn't have tried-"

Noll shook his head slightly, "No. He just didn't think about it. It's only natural for him to think that anyone would go on for higher education. It had nothing to do with not trying; it had everything to do with bad foresight."

Gene took a breath and felt himself relax. His brother was right. If there was one thing about Martin Davis it was that he believed in schools and education. The man didn't think much farther than ghost hunting and academia. Finding a missing person, sadly, probably wasn't one of his strongest skills. Maybe he should have asked his mother. That woman could do almost anything on will power alone.

"What else do you know about her?" John asked softly. All of this anger was getting them nowhere and obviously this girl needed to be found before something happened to her.

"Her birthday is July 3. Brown hair, brown eyes. And she's absolutely selfless. That's really all I can tell you." Gene seemed to be at an absolute loss. Everything else he knew about her wouldn't help them find her.

Yasuhara nodded stiffly, "That's enough to find her. Give me a few hours. With a birthday we're pretty much guaranteed a find." He tried to sound more positive than he actually was. This girl was powerful enough to remove an incident and they thought they could just find her via a record search. Doubtful. There was no telling if she even had a job. She could be on the streets for all that they knew. Cut and dry was his specialty. This was anything but cut and dry. She could be anywhere and if she had found out from someone else. God help her. Someone could be hiding her anywhere. He nodded slightly as he moved to the desk towards the back of the room. It was set up for a receptionist, but he used it for his research. The office was just a little too small for their operations, but as the story was told Gene refused to leave it.

Ayako shook her head slightly, "So you're telling me that there is this young girl that gave up her life for you and caused all this devastation. Now you're trying to find her before she hurts herself. How would we even know if we found her? I mean you paint us a pretty picture that sounds like half of the school aged girls around. It would be different if we could remember her, but this all seems rather farfetched to me."

Bou-san looked contemplative for a moment, "I don't know."

Lin's eyes widened. Did he maybe have that same feeling? A nagging in the back of his head that maybe if he just thought hard enough he could place her? "Do you remember anything?" He needed his feelings to be justified by something.

Bou-san shrugged and shook his head lightly, "Not an inkling. It just sounds realistic. Gene here knew little stuff about me that was a little more than creepy. Can't deny that."

Ayako cuffed him on the back of the head before huffing, "Be serious for once in your life."

Gene sighed loudly, "I told you they wouldn't remember her. After Noll couldn't remember her I didn't think anyone else would. Well besides you, Lin. I thought maybe your shiki would have somehow reminded you."

The sentence hit him and he wondered if these heavy epiphanies would continue until they found the girl. "My shiki." He finally understood the nagging that had continued since Gene first mentioned the girl's name. He reached out to his shiki and tried to communicate with them. He didn't know if he should be frustrated with the result or relieved, "I can't hear them."

"What do you mean?" Noll's voice cut through the buzz that was ringing in his ears.

"I can command them, but they aren't able to reach me. This is good." He knew that didn't sound like it made sense, but it was true. It was a good thing.

"How is your lack of communication a good thing? They can't alert you of danger. There is nothing good about this." Noll's eyes had narrowed.

Lin wasn't shocked by Noll's questioning. He was all logic and logically and probably long term it was a bad thing, but in finding this girl it was a good thing, "It means I'm being blocked, Noll. Someone doesn't want me to remember her, but my shiki were trying to tell me something was wrong."

"How do you unblock the connection?" John questioned eagerly.

"I can't do it. This is something stronger than me, but I know of someone. My father has a friend in the western islands that can help me. We just have to find him first."

It was a step in the right direction and that was all that mattered at this point. Gene couldn't complain about this at all. Soon they would find her, and then all he had to worry about was his brother.

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**TBC**

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**Chibi-Kari: How are you enjoying it? Leave me a little love and thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chibi-Kari: Here's another chapter, but the mystery still remains! I don't own, still (sad I know). I hope you enjoy and after this month I'll have a Master's Degree so hopefully updates won't be bogged down by schoolwork!**

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**Chapter 5**

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Lin was annoyed to say the least. What seemed like a breakthrough and an easy solution turned out to be fruitless. It all seemed so hopeless. At times like these his mother's favourite saying would come back to him. If it's easy it certainly isn't worth it. This girl was worth it. That was one thing he was certain of. He could see it every time Gene spoke of her, which was something that happened more often when his brother was out of the room. By now Lin had come to the firm conclusion that Mai had loved Noll. And from what he'd heard he was almost sure that Noll had some feelings for this girl and now that he wasn't distracted with his brother's death he would act on them. Noll wasn't known for his patience and he certainly wasn't known to be denied anything. But that wasn't the issue. Lin was more afraid of Gene's roll in all this. It wasn't a secret. Gene loved the girl and for once he didn't think Gene would roll over for his twin. This was going to be bad.

Lin shook his head slightly at how his train of thought had digressed. He would just deal with that when it came. And he wasn't sure if it was a good thing or bad, but it didn't seem like it would be coming quickly. He learned a lesson in the last two days and that was: fighting evil spirits or even documenting the supernatural and presenting it to sceptics was easier than finding a person that didn't want to be found. From the records Yasuhara was able to pull out of, what seemed like, thin air they were able to find a cold trail. The girl had literally dropped off the face of the planet at age 16. She graduated junior high classes and then got a job at a little cafe to support herself. After that she was gone. There were no work traces. No forwarding address. There weren't even people to ask. Her old boss just claimed that she didn't show up one day and that it was a pity as she was a good worker. That was all he could claim before walking away. It was disturbing to think how easy it was for someone to disappear without a trace and as it seems no one would look for you. Or even if they did, as they were doing now, no one could find you. It was something out of a horror novel and Lin hated those.

Not only was that a bust, but his father's friend was unreachable. Lin knew how unpredictable the man was and how he didn't like to be found. Something his father calmly claimed as a reclusive personality. Lin thought it was just annoying. At least he had a lead there, almost as cold, but still a lead. His father and Lung Yang had talked on the phone two months ago and they talked about the mountains he was currently living in and the spiritual activity there. This just happened to be the same mountainous area that he had lived in for years and Lung wasn't one to move. He just had to go out there and find the man. Sadly, it wasn't like his father could find out where he called from. That would be too easy. No, life had to be hard for Lin. Lung was able to make phone calls without a telephone among many other things. The man had the strangest psychic power, right up there with this Mai girl. Damn ability to manipulate electronics. Frightening, but rather pointless if you asked him.

Lin started slightly as Noll slammed the file that Yasuhara had given him on the table, "This is ridiculous. There can't possibly be this many dead ends. First you can't find this Lung Yang and now Yasuhara can't find the girl."

Lin raised an eyebrow slightly. This frustration was childish, but Noll always was impatient. "I'll be flying out tomorrow to try and find him. He's bound to be on the island and in the mountains as my father has told me. Lung doesn't like to move around, so chances are high that I'll find him within a day or two. Don't act so childish."

Gene who had been sitting in the corner of the room looking at some of the research that was found early seemed to perk up with this information, "I'll accompany you, Lin."

Lin thought about it briefly. Some time apart may help the twins. Their interaction had been getting worse and worse as time passed to the point where Lin was almost frightened one of the boys may actually act like normal siblings and throttle the other. Noll for Gene being vague with details and Gene for his brother being insufferable. "Fine."

Gene nodded in response and Lin could see Noll's eyes narrow slightly, "Maybe we all should go."

"That would get expensive, Noll." Lin tried to reason with his young boss, but it would seem that he wanted none of it.

"Interacting with this man might be helpful to all members of this team. Insightful information should never be missed."

Lin shook his head slightly. Noll would always use logic to get his way and he couldn't really argue with this. The others in the group could probably benefit from Lung greatly. And Yasuhara, at least, could be helpful if the man started speaking in riddles. If there was one fact about the boy it would be that he could get the truth out of anyone. The boy was frighteningly witty.

Lin looked over to Gene before turning to his young boss and nodding, "I'll make the arrangements."

Oliver Davis closed his eyes before bringing his hands up and massaging the space above his eyes harshly. These last few months were trying to say the least and he didn't like mysteries that took this long to solve. Puzzles were good as long as none of the pieces were missing. This was like trying to play Monopoly and only having the thimble. A proper game can't be played without all the pieces or at least the dog.

Bringing the team had seemed like a good idea. Yasuhara would be helpful and the others would be on the same page. No explaining is always a good thing. Especially, since he wasn't. Gene, his twin brother, was hiding something. They were the closest for years and now this girl was pulling them apart. This girl he had no memory of meeting, but he could feel she was important. She theoretically gave him back his brother and he would find out the reason even if it killed him. But first they needed to find this Lung character. If he could help Lin then it was worth all the effort it took to find him. And the money they were wasting searching all over the countryside in a van. Three towns later and they were still on the search for the reclusive man.

Noll looked over to Lin. He could tell that the older man was getting frustrated. His gaze was fixed intently on the road in front of him. Not even the ruckus inside the van could distract him from looking intently at the road. Bou-san and Ayako were yelling at each other while John tried to calm them down and the sound was starting to grate on Noll. He briefly entertained the thought of pushing them out of the moving vehicle. That might get Lung-san's attention.

"Lin-san, are you certain this is the area your father told you he was in?" Yasuhara tried to ask the question as calmly as he could. He knew if he spoke too loudly that it would draw the attention of Bou-san and Ayako and their wrath would be focused completely on the tall Chinese man. That was not something he needed in this situation.

Lin was about to reply when a sharp tap on the driver's side window caused him to bring the van to a complete stop. Lin's head snapped to look at the short man standing outside of his window. He was stout and had his face fixed into a scowl. Lin let out the breath he was holding before rolling down the window.

"Lung-san." The greeting was simple and the short man nodded in response before glancing at the group in the van.

"I knew you were looking for me." His reply was vague and eerie. Lin set his face so as not to show the unsettled feelings he got from his father's friend.

"Then you also know what this is about?" Lin wasn't sure if his statement was a question or an accusation.

Lung-san studied him closely before allowing a sweep of the van's occupants once again, "I do."

"So you will help me with my shiki." Lin didn't like the way his father's friend's eyes shone for a moment.

"I can't help you. I can only inform you." He paused for a moment, "The girl you are looking for is still alive. Put your heart at rest, but you must understand if someone does not want to be found you shouldn't try to find them."

Noll's eyes narrowed, "I don't think it's any of your business if we choose to search for her or don't."

Lung-san stared at him momentarily before shaking his head slightly, "You'll never find her."

Noll bristled at the comment. No one ever told Oliver Davis what he could and could not do, "I don't think it's wise to underestimate our power to find her."

Lung-san narrowed his eyes and levelled a glare at the young man, "I never said the group of you could not find her. I said you yourself would not be able to. And this is because you will never remember her. That is not something that can be disputed. You will never remember her." His voice was harsh and effectively silenced the younger man.

Lin was slightly impressed by Lung's ability to shut down the boy, "What information can you give me so that I can communicate with my shiki again?"

"You must remember her." The statement was simple and Lin began to grow frustrated.

"I can't remember her unless I communicate with my shiki. Are you telling me that I can't communicate with them until I remember her?" The logic wasn't sound and Lin was like Noll in that matter. He liked sound logic.

"That's what I'm telling you." Lung-san nodded slightly before taking a step away from the car window.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Lin could feel himself begin to lose his cool. Lung-san was walking away giving them no clues to how to get Mai back.

"Just think about the situation. I have to take my leave. Give my regards to your father and I'll tell you one thing Lin. If you remember her you will be able to find her."

Gene leaned over towards the window, "Wait! Why can't my memories help? Why can I remember her?"

Lung-san stared blankly at him for a minute, "You were not alive. You are not bound by the same laws." And then he was gone leaving only the surrounding forest in his wake.

Lin tried to ignore the unease that always came with the man. He could do too many things and all of them could be frightening if he so chose. His ability to appear and disappear like that was new, to Lin at least, and made the man all the more frightening. Lin hoped that would be the last time he would have to see Lung-san.

Bou-san blinked a few times before he leaned towards the front of the van, "What was that?" Ayako could only nod in response.

Masako and Yasuhara couldn't even find words to describe the situation and John silently crossed himself.

Noll stared out at the empty space that only moments ago held the stout man, "Lin, head back."

Lin nodded mechanically before starting the van again. All he had to do was remember.

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**TBC**

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**Chibi-Kari: Thanks for reading! Please drop me a little note!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chibi-Kari: Hey everyone...I still don't own! Okay, I have a question. I'm getting near to where this story could end and I could start a sequel or I could just continue in one story. What do you think separate or keep in one long story? And what should I be when I grow up? LOL.**

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**Chapter 6**

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All he had to do was remember. He had told himself that a month ago and had yet to come up with anything and it didn't help that Noll was getting more frustrated by the second. Luckily he had taken to taking long walks alone; one of which he was currently on. Lin was sure the young man was secretly trying to remember the girl, but Lung was rarely wrong. Lin didn't doubt that Noll wouldn't remember her. Lung just knew things. Things that he shouldn't know and Lin wasn't one to bet against that man. There was something also in the act of being the one the sacrifice was for. He could almost be sure that most people wouldn't be able to take that sort of pressure. The pressure to live and be happy when someone else had given up their life for them. This almost amnesia was maybe a safeguard to keep the person in the dark. What would be the point if the action meant to help only further bothered the person? Whatever this type of magic held it seemed that it did do it for the benefit of a single person.

Lin shook his head roughly. His head was starting to hurt from these round useless thoughts. This was not what he expected or signed up for when he came over with Noll. They had two months left and no girl. Whoever she was and wherever she was she hid herself well. When he found her he would first make sure she was absolutely safe and then proceed to lecture the girl harder than he had lectured either of the twins. Hours. She was in for hours of lecture to make up for this headache. Then he would deal with whoever told her how to do this.

Lin closed his eyes as he heard the chair Gene was sitting in roll slightly. The young man had been silent for almost and hour. That was rare for Gene, so Lin knew something was bothering him.

"Lin?" Lin could only bring himself to nod slightly for the younger man to continue. "It seems so strange for this to be happening. I know that's a horrible description, but I thought this would be easier. I just. I just can't understand how she could do this. One simple incident could change everyone's entire life. Could you ever do that?"

Lin suddenly felt like a truck had run him over. The room felt heavy and he had a suspicion that this is what it felt like to be between what was real and a dream.

The feeling suddenly evened out, but nothing was right. Everything was different. There was a clock ticking from the right of the room that Lin was sure was not there five minutes ago. Actually he was positive because it was coming from where Gene's desk normally sat. And he didn't feel right. His body felt heavy like he wouldn't be able to move it if he tried. It almost felt as if he was possessing someone else's body.

"Lin-san?" The voice was feminine and light, but tinged with sadness.

He could feel himself moving against his own volition. His eyes slid open and he looked to the girl sitting on a stack of books to his left. His mind identified her before the words spilled out of his mouth, "Do you need something Taniyama-san?"

"I was just thinking." She seemed to debate whether she should elaborate and Lin felt his head nod in encouragement. It was then that he realized he wasn't in control of his body. "One simple incident can change everyone's lives. If someone could fix that they could make everyone happy. I mean-oh never mind."

"As cliché as it sounds Taniyama-san, things happen for a reason. And who is to know if it really would make everyone happy. I really doubt that one instance could change anyone's life as drastically as you make it sound. It's better if you don't waste your time on things like that." He started to turn again when he heard her sigh. Lin couldn't control his body; he was just a spectator in this flashback, but he realized what was happening. She was warning him. He could feel the emotions of his other self as if they were separate, yet flowing over him. The uneasiness that this conversation started to bubble within his chest. He felt himself try to brush the emotions aside and he almost kicked himself.

"But Gene." He looked up again. She looked deep in thought, "If Gene had never died Naru would be happy. Gene would be happy. Everyone-"

Panic bubbled through him, "Taniyama-san, you can't be sure of that. Life is not something to be lived through what-ifs. I seriously hope you haven't said anything to Naru about this. It would upset him."

Her eyes widened suddenly and she shook her head vehemently, "No! Never. Not with you having to leave for the funeral. I wouldn't add to that."

Lin felt his eyes close and a distinct annoyance cross over him, "Naru told you, right?"

He could feel the young girl's confusion permeate the air before she even spoke. "What, Lin-san?"

His heart felt heavy and Lin's consciousness knew what Oliver had done before the scene played out in front of him, "We aren't just leaving for the funeral. Naru's parents want him to come home." Noll wasn't one to admit anything he didn't want to. He left that type of work to others. Gene. Himself.

The room was silent for a moment before her voice asked shakily, "The office?"

"Will close." He took a slight breath. He could feel himself regretting his last word before it even left, "Permanently."

"Oh." The sound was soft. There was a pause and then her voice was stronger, "I think I'll leave the rest of the packing to you."

Lin felt himself nod. This was her goodbye to him and he would take it. She didn't want to look weak and this was all she could do. He would respect her wishes. It was all he could do in the situation. "Goodbye, Taniyama-san."

She paused in the doorway, her back to him, "If you could would you?"

The same uneasiness he felt earlier bubbled up again, "What?"

"If you knew fixing something would make everyone happy, would you?" Her voice was firm.

"It's best not to think-"

"I'm asking, would you?" The tone was final and Lin felt glad he couldn't see her face.

"No."

"I didn't think so." Her tone was confident and sent chills down his back and unease crept into every bone.

He looked up. He needed to say something to her. Anything, but she was already gone. He sat there looking at his hands. She had basically told him and he let her walk out the door. He was disgusted with this part of him. He was willing to let a girl coming into her powers walk out the door without a fight.

"Lin. Lin!" Gene's voice brought him back to reality harshly. Lin found himself gasping for breath. He looked up and saw Gene kneeling in front of him his eyes wide in a panic. "Lin, are you alright? We were talking and then you suddenly stopped. I got worried that something happened."

"What's going on?" Noll's voice was harsh from the doorway.

Lin lifted his hand and watched as it shook slightly in front of him. He could remember her. Every moment. His disbelief at her ability to get into trouble. The feeling of guilt at the emotions on her face as she looked at him with tears in her eyes when he told her of his hatred towards the Japanese. His amusement at her relationship with Noll. Every aspect of her and it astounded him how he could look past who she was. She was dangerously independent and his other self had been so naïve thinking that she would rely on the Monk and Miko as she tried to come into her powers. He didn't even watch her closely enough. Now he could see without that hindrance which was Oliver's unpredictable behavior. What sickened him the most was that she told him what she was going to do; what was going to happen. Maybe not in so many words, but she made it clear that if he had known her that he wouldn't have doubted the answer. The question was still how did she find out. Or did she always know? There was too many questions and not enough answers or time to find them. The only thing he really knew now was that hindsight was twenty twenty.

Lin shook his head slightly. She was predictable. Her heart was too big not to be. He could find her. This could be fixed.

"Lin?" Noll's voice was harsh.

"I know where she'll be." He turned to the computer to pull up her file once more.

"You remember her?" Oliver's voice shook with slight disbelief and Lin could only surmise that it was because he was still unable to remember her.

"She will go to her parent's grave. She always visited once a week on Friday afternoons."

"It's only one. She might not have come yet. We need to go! Where is it, Lin?" Gene's voice raised an octave as he rose from his crouched position.

"Just down the road." Lin rose from the chair quickly and headed towards his door. He vaguely heard the chair hit the other side of his office when he reached the front door. They had to find her.

Gene and Noll were steps behind him and he could hear footsteps echo behind them. The rest of the team must have been meeting in the main room when he remembered.

Lin broke into a light jog as he saw the graveyard in the distance. He remembered the day that he had to walk to the store for Noll's tea addiction and happened to see their part-timer enter the small graveyard. The walk back had been full of her chatter. Lin always found he found out more information from the girl by her one-sided conversation than if he was to ask her anything. That's how he knew her parents were here. How he knew when she visited.

Coming up upon the graves Lin came to a stop. Gene walked forward resting his hand lightly on her mother's grave, "The flowers are a week old. She hasn't been here yet."

The group murmured in response as they stood awkwardly in front of the graves.

"She had a key. I remember she told me that it was a protective charm. Something that her father gave to her mother." Masako's voice was soft. "That's all I can remember, but I remember that. It gave me hope."

Everyone was silent for a moment. The sound of soft footsteps grew louder as someone approached from behind.

"You shouldn't be here." The feminine voice cut through the tension that hung in the air. The group turned quickly to find a young girl standing before them. Her blonde hair hung in curls over a pale blue dress. She looked harmless, but her voice sound much older and wiser than her seven year old body portrayed her.

"Why shouldn't we, jou-chan?" Bou-san squatted down to be closer to the girl's eye-level as she turned her slightly indifferent gaze towards him.

"There are rules and you can't find her." The girl shrugged slightly as she looked past the group towards the two headstones.

"Who?" Noll knew before he even asked. This girl in front of them was powerful and it buzzed in the air.

"Mai of course. She won't be coming today or ever again." The girl looked over her shoulder slightly before focusing back on the group, "I suggest you leave her be. She's where she should be."

"I don't think you have much say in where she should or should not be and I suggest you bring us to her." Noll challenged the girl. This little girl knew something and Noll wanted answers. They were too close to Mai to give up now. He was too close.

The little girl's blue eyes narrowed and she squared her shoulders, "You should have just given up." The air around her grew heavy and the surrounding rocks lifted into the air. "Well, now we'll get to play."

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**TBC**

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**Chibi-Kari: Hope you liked the chapter...thanks for reading! Drop me a review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chibi-Kari: Here's the last part of Part 1! Leave me a little message and thanks for all the feedback and ideas of what to do with my life... lol! I really like firefighter... impossible for me, but still my favorite! I still don't own Ghost Hunt. See you all right back here for Part 2!

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**Chapter 7

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Noll held his arm out to Gene and they started to toss his energy back and forth between them. Rocks started to soar towards them and Gene made a shout of protest as Noll threw his power before it was ready. He immediately leaned on his knees slightly for support.

"Don't be so rash, Oliver!" Gene shouted at his brother with a slight glare.

"Did you want to get hit? I didn't." Noll shrugged slightly at his brother before trying to gather energy again.

"What a waste. You're boring. Way too easy to beat. I was taking time to give you a chance." The little girl sneered slightly. The look on her face was unsettling and John had the sudden urge to take the small girl in his arms. She obviously had suffered greatly.

"Why are you doing this, little one?" John's voice was soft and the girl's eyes snapped to his.

"Because not everyone is as good as you." Her voice broke slightly and the objects in the air wavered for a moment before they snapped back to attention, "There are rules and you can't break them. You can't find her. It's not fair!"

She sent the rocks hurling at them. Noll stood in shock as he watched the rocks come towards his team. He didn't have enough time to channel any energy and that little girl wouldn't miss. Her control was perfect.

They were silent watching the rocks speed towards them before they feel straight to the ground.

The little girl's eyes suddenly narrowed. "Why are you interfering?"

"Tsuki." Lung's voice boomed through the graveyard and Ayako jumped slightly.

The man appeared next to Lin as if he had been there the entire time. She could tell that even Lin was shocked as his visible eye was slightly wider than normal.

"You are breaking the rules." His voice was strong and imposing.

The little girl shrunk back momentarily before stepping forward, "That skill of yours will not work on me. You know that." She sneered slightly.

"It may not work, but I can stop you. You know the rules and you are breaking them. They would have found her if you had not interfered. You are not to interfere. That is the rule."

Tsuki stomped her foot, kicking up a little dirt, "It's not fair. They are taking her from me!" She crossed her arms and glared at the gathering in front of her.

"Life is not fair, Tsuki and you know that. You've known that for some time now. You made the choice you did and you cannot punish anyone for that."

"Why can't I ever get what I want? Why does Mai get people to find her, yet no one will find me?" The little girl sulked lightly.

"Go back to the commune, Tsuki." Lung instructed wearily. "Go now before I get the council."

The girl scrunched up her face in distaste before nodding, "This isn't fair."

"Nothing in life is."

Noll shook his head slightly. One moment the little girl was standing there pouting and the next it was like she had never been there at all.

They were all silent for a moment before John turned to Lung, "She is like Mai? She sacrificed herself for someone else?"

Lung stared at the spot in front of him for a moment before nodding, "Her parent's happiness over her own. Only in their case they both remember her and have not tried to find her. Some people don't deserve the kindness that is bestowed upon them."

John nodded slightly before looking back at the spot she had vacated, "Can we help her?"

Lung stared at John for a moment before speaking, "I wish you could, but it is only her parents that can remove her from the contract. Just as it is only you guys who can remove, Mai." He turned back to look at the rest of the group, "The next time you won't find any resistance. You will be able to take her and break the contract." He looked for a moment between Gene and Oliver, "Make sure it is worth it. She is safe where she is."

"She's worth it." Gene's voice was firm as he stepped towards Lung.

He looked at him a moment before nodding, "I see." He turned to look over the group again before settling his gaze on John again, "Tsuki is right. Not everyone is as good as you." With that statement he left them standing in the open graveyard.

"Where do we go from here?" Bou-san's voice broke through the silence that had fallen over them.

Ayako shrugged lightly, "That guys still gives me the heeby jeebies."

Lin shook his head slightly before snapping to meet Masako's eyes.

It seemed that she came to the same conclusion as he did because she voiced the words he had been thinking, "Her parent's old house."

Yasuhara nodded slightly before pulling her file out of his bag, "Her childhood house is only blocks away from here." He smiled slightly and his glasses gleamed in the dying light, "This is almost over."

Noll nodded before gesturing, "Lead the way, Yasuhara."

"Right-o, boss." Yasuhara marched lightly out of the graveyard and on to the street.

Lin watched closely as Gene sidled up next to his brother watching him closely. There was something going on and he couldn't quite figure out what was going on between the two of them. One thing he was certain of was that Gene had a plan that no one else was in on.

The walk was silent and they approached the small house before they even realized they were standing in front of it.

"Lead the way, Noll." Gene said softly allowing his brother to enter first. That was Lin's first clue something was off.

It was unsettling how fast the scene changed. One moment they were walking towards the red front door and suddenly they were standing in the middle of a white room. The light difference was almost blinding. There were two men and a woman sitting behind a long table in front of them. Tsuki was standing off to the side with Lung next to her.

"You found her quicker than I thought." Lung's voice rang through the light air and echoed off the walls.

"Oliver Davis?" The man on the right called out to the group.

"Me." Noll stepped forward.

"Fate was rearranged for your sake. You do realize that, correct? This is not something done on a whim and now you have found the one that made this decision." The woman looked intensely at him.

Noll forced down the impulse to step backwards. She was staring at him as if she was reading his soul.

"What will you say to her?" The man on the left questioned him suddenly.

Noll stopped for a moment. He knew what he would hypothetically say to her, but now it seemed more real. He was on the cusp of meeting her and now he would actually have to talk to her, "I'll ask her why."

The woman smiled slightly, "You don't know?" Her voice was kind, but slightly mocking.

Noll glowered slightly. It seemed that everyone knew but him.

"I see you don't." The man on the right spoke again. The same amusement that laced the woman's voice was present in his. "We shall allow you to find out on your own then."

"You will take her into your care and nurture her powers now?" The woman questioned again.

This time Lin stepped forward, "We will."

The woman leveled him with the same stare before nodding, "Then you may go."

The light blinded them again before fading to dark. For a moment he thought he went blind before he reached for his cell phone, "It's 1 am." Lin was slightly astonished. The whole thing felt like it took moments and yet it had been a good five hours.

"What?" Noll questioned slightly before he looked around at the group, "Where's Gene?"

Masako stepped forward slightly, "He wasn't with us in that room." Her voice was soft as she waited for Noll to thin the worst.

"Don't worry. He texted me." Lin stated holding his cell phone in front of him, "He's gone ahead and taken Mai back to England with him. He said they got the last flight out before the ash cloud blocked airspace again and that he'll see us as soon as we can get back in." Lin shook his head as he looked at the other twin. This was what Gene was planning. He was fighting dirty.

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**End of Part 1 **


	8. Part 2 Chapter 1

**Chibi-Kari:** Oh my goodness! Look! It's Chapter 1 of Part 2! This was really hard to write, but I wanted to get more of the family dynamic, which will be important as this arc continues. Please leave me a message after the review button. I know people are still around so I want your feedback! I don't own, but I am pretty much on par with the long releases we wait for in the manga...ha! Don't worry releases will get more regular again now that I've settled back into life.

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** Alive Part 2**

**Chapter 1**

They had been home for two months and Noll had yet to see Mai. He was getting more and more irritated as the days passed. Shouldn't he be allowed to see her? She sacrificed so much for him and he still hasn't been able to ask her about it. When he tried to get his mother to intervene she just smiled a small smile and told him to let Gene settle down first. Everyone in his damn house had seen her except for him. She had been living with them for two months and he hadn't even gotten a glimpse of her. It was infuriating him.

It didn't help that he had caught the back of her last week as Gene pulled her around the corner.

"Sulking doesn't suit you, son." Martin Davis glanced over his newspaper to his son who was staring blankly at the portrait above their mantle.

Noll shifted his eyes to his father. "Then introduce me to her. It's been two months. I think Gene's had time to settle down with her. I haven't even seen him in months after he moved out of our room."

Martin smiled slyly. "Gene's growing up, son. You can't fault him for that. He found something important to him and he's protecting it. You have to admit that you've shared everything. He doesn't want to share her."

Noll wasn't sure why the next words came out of his mouth or if he really felt that way at all. "She was mine first."

Martin raised an eyebrow before laughing heartily. "Maybe that's why he's keeping her away. No unfair advantages."

Oliver Davis was never shocked in his life, but his father implying that he was going to steal this girl away from his brother was astonishing. "It's not like I'm in love with her, father. I don't even know her. There isn't a playing field for him to level. I just want to meet her. I want to ask her why. Bloody hell, even Lin has started working with her."

Martin sighed folding his newspaper in his lap. "I always expected to have to say this to one of my sons, but long given up because both of you are so mature. But now I see it's fitting. Oliver Davis, stop being such a prat."

Noll flinched away from his father as if he had been slapped. He had never been called a prat by his father. Maybe once he had been affectionately called a git. The only one who had ever dared to say that to him was his brother and that normally ended with Noll walking away calling tosser over his shoulder. Gene and Noll rarely got in rows, but weren't above petty name calling. In private of course. Noll would die before he let anyone know some of the things he had called his brother in jest.

"How am I being a prat? I'm simply pointing out the obvious disregard of my feelings and the unfairness of the situation." See if his dad could argue with that.

Martin rubbed his forehead viciously. "You've been busy, Oliver. You had to present your paper at the conference earlier this month and spent all of last month preparing for it. No one is keeping Mai locked up in a room just to avoid you. Your paths just haven't crossed. And of course Lin would start working with her. His specialty is emerging powers and she has everything and more that what Gene told us. Just wait. You'll meet her. And if you ask me, which I know you didn't, it might be a good thing to let her adjust a bit more before barging back into her life. From what I understand the two of you rarely saw eye to eye and knowing you you'll just barge into her room and start berating her. I don't think that's the nicest thing to do to a person that did you a service. Granted, a misguided service, but what she did was amazing none-the-less." He pulled the newspaper back open as a sign that the conversation was over. "Plus, your mother adores her already. You'd be doing yourself a disservice if you upset her."

Noll nodded to himself before standing and making his way out of the room and back into the hallway leading to the kitchen. A good cuppa would settle his nerves and help him think clearly. Certainly his father's logic was sound. He didn't need to go upsetting the girl that had done so much for him, but he couldn't help but think his brother was purposely keeping her from him. And truly, his mother's wrath should be enough to stay away from her awhile longer, but she was so close. She was the final piece that would finish the large puzzle in front of him and he couldn't just ignore that feeling. Noll didn't like leaving things unanswered. It made him uncomfortable. Questions were meant to be answered. There wasn't a mystery he couldn't solve and her hiding from him in his own house just made him frustrated.

He sat down heavily in one of his mother's ridiculously unsound kitchen chairs. Nostalgia his ass. It was just an excuse for his mother to feel like she had a "cute kitchen". At least she could have found a chair that didn't wobble, but looked as old as this. Deceptively new, but looked old. He would have to present that idea to his mother for the entire family's sake. The word deceptive rang through his head. That was it. Oliver Davis was known to have a good plan in his days. His brother was the deceptive twin, but Noll had his fair share of times. He just had to have a plan. He would meet this girl, get all his answers, and then help with her powers. She had given him something important so it was only fair that he returned the favor with his help.

He raised the cup of tea in front of him to his lips before realizing a few things. One, he had never gotten up to make his cuppa. Two, this was the best cup of tea he had ever had in his entire life. He had no idea he had even wanted his tea like this until he tasted it. Three, there was a young girl sitting in front of him that: a) obviously made said amazing tea. b) he hadn't even heard approach let alone make him said tea. c) was obviously Mai.

He took another sip while keeping his eyes trained on her. She made no move to walk away, but he was almost afraid to blink. He set his mug down gently. "Mai."

"Naru." For once the nickname he had gotten slightly used to over the past year didn't bother him.

He nodded slightly. "I was beginning to think that you weren't really living here."

She cocked her head to the side. "I was beginning to think that you didn't want to see me." Her English was thickly accented, but easy enough to understand.

Noll took another sip of his tea just watching her. He slipped easily into Japanese. "You make a nice cup of tea."

She nodded with a slight smile. "Just how you like it."

The statement was simple and unnerving. He knew nothing about this girl in front of him, but she knew so much about him. She even knew the perfect way to make his tea. It was common knowledge to her while she remained a mystery to him. "It seems like Gene was hiding you from me."

She immediately looked away from him towards the electric kettle. For a second Noll thought she wasn't going to respond. "Gene cares for me a lot. He only wants what's best."

Noll wasn't one to immediately jump to conclusions or follow his feelings blindly, but he couldn't stop the snide comment from dropping from his lips. It seemed that happened a lot when it came to this girl. "For you or for him?"

She immediately locked eyes with him glaring fiercely. "Don't question his motives. Gene loves you."

Noll pulled himself up haughtily. "I don't see how those two statements logically go together."

Mai shook her head gently, brown hair spilling over her shoulders and down the front of her arms, as she gathered his now empty cup. "Well, it's nice to know that you're still the same with Gene or without. I always wondered about that."

He wasn't exactly sure what she meant by that, but she was already halfway out the kitchen door and it didn't seem that she would stay if he asked. But he couldn't let her get away with the last word. Oliver Davis always got the last word. "Your hair's too long."

She stopped momentarily and looked over her shoulder with a soft smile before slipping into the dark hallway.

Noll stared after her for a moment longer and realized a few things. His brother was keeping her from him. She did want to speak with him, which made his life easier. And he felt the need to be around her. That nagging feeling that his life wasn't complete had left him completely when she was sitting across the table at arms reach. Just her leaving the room was too far for him and he wasn't about to let his brother keep her away anymore. It was about time he had a sit down with Gene.


	9. Part 2 Chapter 2

**Chibi-Kari:** So sorry for the long wait! I didn't mean to do that, but I was having a very hard time deciding how to get things really moving and then this finally came to me and it took me forever to find a chance to get it all down. I've been horribly busy through the holidays and then work was swamped with the start of a new term (the downside of working in the world of Academia). And then I needed to look for a new place to live as my lease was up. That's been sorted at least and I'll move next month, but it really ate into my writing time. So sorry and I hope this chapter makes up for it! (I don't own anything, obviously).

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**Chapter 2**

Oliver Davis wasn't one for confrontations, although he seemed to be having quite a few as of late, especially with his brother. Gene had become secretive in his so called second life. Maybe it was normal for his brother to have this deceptive streak. It seemed, from what Noll could gather, he had been hiding his identity from Mai when he was her spirit guide. And then as soon as he had been thrust back into the world of the living he immediately kept key facts about Mai to himself. And he couldn't forget, not that he was prone to forgetting anything, Gene's underhanded tactic of sweeping Mai away to England with the help of Eyjafjallajökull. Granted that was pure luck that they got on the last flight, but Noll would still hold that against his brother. And without a doubt Gene was keeping her away from him even now. The sins just seemed to be piling against Gene.

It probably didn't help that this change in character seemed so sudden to Noll. One minute Gene was the brother that shared everything, including a room, and the next he was this person so full of secrets. This brother was completely different than the Gene that he had grown up with. He used to smile constantly and have that open disarming personality that brought others in. He was known for his selflessness. Noll couldn't even use any of those descriptions for his brother anymore. This new brother infuriated him. He still smiled for others, but anytime Gene's eyes met his, which was rare now, Noll was greeted with a scowl or a glare. He could only blame so much of Gene's character change on his so called death. But when it came down to it was more to do with Gene not wanting to be around his brother. At first he thought their estrangement was about his original lack of faith in Gene. And then he thought it was his anger at the situation. He spent countless hours trying to figure out what went wrong between the two of them.

Oliver still wasn't even sure exactly why they were fighting before, but he knew why they were having their own cold war now. Gene didn't want him in Mai's life and he certainly wasn't going to stand for that. No one, not even his brother, told him what he could and could not do. Everyone knew by now that he would go ahead and do as he very well pleased. He was raised with a moral compass so he had every right to make decisions for himself. His brother would just have to get over it and himself. Plus, Mai was his first. It was time to lay down the law. His decision was firm as he took a cab to the lab to find his brother and eventually Mai. He would be a part of her life, he would be a part of her training, and his brother would stop being an insufferable tosser.

Noll ignored the cabbie's flinch when he slammed the taxi door with a little more force than necessary. The ride had been relatively quick for a ride from his parents' house to the office in Kensington, but it still didn't seem as if it was getting him there fast enough. He had this sinking feeling that he had been working with borrowed time the last few months. Every second he was wasting away and pulling him farther from where he needed to be. Oliver couldn't be sure it had anything to do with Mai, but he knew for a fact that the night after their meeting in the kitchen the feeling had grown exponentially. He picked up his pace as he pulled his wool coat tighter around him. It seemed to grow colder and colder the last few years. He could remember 2006 when it had been warm enough in December to wear a light coat. Then the last few years he was forced to fight off that horrible menace called snow. The weather was too bipolar for his liking. He rushed the last few steps opening the door to the building with more force than necessary. If it hadn't been so out of character for him he would have let out a sigh of relief as the overpowering heat enveloped him. The door ricocheted off the hinge slightly and he caught the receptionist jump from the sound. She had obviously been engrossed in something else and he had no qualms about interrupting her focus when her duty was to watch the door and assist anyone that came in.

He shook his head slightly before pulling at his scarf and heading towards the labs and offices. He would have to find Lin first. The Chinese man was sure to know where his brother was and then he would sort everything out. He was about to knock on the older man's door when he caught sight of him walking quickly down the side hallway towards the labs. Oliver didn't even need to think to know that Mai was obviously starting an experiment. She was the only psychic that Lin was currently working with and at the pace he was setting he was a few minutes late. Noll followed quickly. He had yet to see anything she could do and nothing could stop him from following.

Lin glanced back after a few paces and nodded slightly. Noll took that as all the confirmation he needed. Mai was about to do something and if she was there his brother was sure to be in the observation room. They turned into a back hallway that Noll hadn't been to before, strangely enough as Gene and he had explored quite a bit when they were in their adolescent years. Lin held the door open slightly before slipping in.

The observation room was relatively large for the SPR's standards and there were more than a few scientists standing around looking in the glass. Noll vaguely recognized his father and brother's presence before his eyes fell on the girl he was looking for. She was standing in the experiment room surrounded by various bits of furniture. He had a sneaking suspicion of the test, he had had a similar one at one time, but was completely blindsided. When Gene had originally listed off the quite lengthy list of powers this had most certainly not been on the list.

Lin came forward to stand next to him. "She's showing signs of psychometry and we're just testing the range. So far it's inconsistent at best, but like everything else she's shown us it grows exponentially."

Oliver nodded slightly. He could easily read between the lines. Lin was basically telling him they had no idea what to do with her and had no idea the true extent of her powers. Noll was glad that Lin had been keeping him in the loop on Mai's experiences as best as he could. He knew it was frustrating the older man. As soon as they had something under control Mai started to develop something completely separate. It was almost frightening how little control she had over her own powers. And to be honest he was more than concerned about where she would have ended up if they hadn't found her. He still wasn't sure what that council had been or what her contract was. He couldn't even be sure if her time there had affected her powers and caused this increase. Noll highly doubted the final thought based on what Gene had told them all while he was looking for her.

"What are you doing here?" Noll swiveled slightly to look at his brother who was currently sneering at him. He didn't want to take his eyes off of the girl, but his brother was a pressing matter.

"I'm here to observe Mai, obviously." He wasn't going to bate his brother in the presence of some of the greatest thinkers at the SPR.

Gene glanced around at some of the faces that had turned towards them. He took a few steps closer to his brother to make the conversation more private because he most certainly wasn't going to drop it. "How did you find out?"

Noll was tempted to ignore his brother's question entirely, but that would only lead to the louder of the twins to start something in the middle of the room. Gene wasn't one to let things lie. He was the fight now think later one of the two. "I followed Lin."

Gene seemed to weigh his statement before narrowing his eyes slightly. "You have no right to be here."

Lin hissed slightly trying to draw Gene's attention to the scene he was making and warn Oliver not to react.

Noll knew better than to respond to that, but his pride always came before his tongue. It was his downfall and he was quite aware of that. "I have every right to be here."

Gene snorted slightly. "How do you come to that conclusion? You know nothing about her."

"She was my assistant for over a year." Noll answered evenly.

"That you can't even remember! Hell, you haven't even met her!" Gene burst out. There was no question that all eyes were now on the two of them.

"Yes I have. Although, you've been trying to keep her from me. She approached me last week. She made me tea. I didn't even have to try and track her down." Yes his tone was petty, but at this point he didn't care. He wanted to stake a claim. He had every right to be here as Gene did. Probably more considering she had given him his brother back.

Gene floundered for a moment before pulling himself up to his full height and stepping forward. "Stay away from her."

"I could stay away from her, but it doesn't help if she doesn't stay away from me." Noll mirrored his brother's stance and stepped forward as well. There were only a few inches between the two of them and he could see Lin tensing in his peripheral vision. "And I don't see any reason I should stay away from her now that she's come to me."

Both boys stumbled slightly as they were both pulled in opposite directions by there collars. Noll's eyes widened as he looked over to find his father fuming at both of them. He hadn't heard his father approach and it was slightly unnerving to him that he had been so engrossed that he had forgotten about their audience. Martin had them each by their shirts and started to haul them out of the room. With a final push they stumbled out into the hallway. Martin pushed them once more to get them farther from the door as Lin stepped out of the doorway and closed it behind them.

Noll had never seen his father so angry and he wasn't sure he ever wanted to see him look like this again.

"Neither of you have a right to be in there if you are going to act like petulant children." Martin eyed the two warily. Neither of his sons had ever embarrassed him like they just did. If he didn't know better he was sure the two were having a metaphorical pissing contest. He paused a moment to look at Gene and Oliver before deciding that that was exactly what they had been doing. It was slightly astonishing that his two mature sons had devolved into this. "I have no idea what has come over the two of you, but you cannot act like that in polite company especially in a professional environment. Your mother and I have raised you better than this. I can only begin to guess what has brought on this massive change in character for the both of you, but I promise that neither of you are going to be allowed to observe anymore of Mai's sessions until I deem that you are able to handle the privilege."

Gene quickly stepped forward. "I'm sorry, Dad, but I have to be there for Mai-"

Martin raised his hand slightly. "You think you are more capable than a group to ten scientists. Let me correct you if that's what you're thinking." He shook his head slightly. Gene was beginning to get out of control, but it was true that Mai took a sort of solace in him that she hadn't shown with anyone other than Lin. "Noll, I understand that you're frustrated and feel that Gene is hiding her from you."

"Because he is." Noll wasn't one to interrupt his father, but he was beginning to get sick of his parents smoothing over the situation.

Martin really couldn't defend his other son from the allegation so he simply moved past it as if he hadn't heard him. "Don't you think that she needs time to settle, especially with her fluctuating powers, before you inflict yourself upon her? Even you know you aren't the easiest to deal with. With the abrupt move from Japan and everything else we should give her a time to settle down."

"She sought me out. She thought that I had been avoiding her. And she knows me. It isn't like she hasn't dealt with me before. She even knows how I like my tea." He wasn't quite sure why the last part mattered, but it did.

Martin rubbed his brow harshly. His sons were making his life difficult and he guessed it was karma for how easy they had been when they were young. "I think all of us should sit down and talk about this tonight. Lin and I should really get back inside and this can be discussed later."

"Discussed later?" Oliver wasn't one to show his frustration, but this was one too many times they had this circular conversation. "There is nothing to discuss! Gene has been keeping her from me and she obviously wants me around."

"I'm protecting her!" Gene turned to his brother.

"You've been hiding her from me in our own house!" Noll didn't even flinch as their conversation with their father turned into a full-blown row.

He was certain they would have gone on if a small voice hadn't silenced them both quickly. "Luella, I'd like to thank you for letting me stay in your house, but I think I should probably move into the dorms."


	10. Part 2 Chapter 3

**Chibi-Kari**: Well I was hoping more people were still around than showed up to review last chapter. I'm really excited that the Unlucky Series will be coming back into circulation! I've been chosen as one of Edi's beta's and from what I understand I hope to start proofing for her next month! It is one of the best Ghost Hunt fanfiction series I've read on the site! Please check her stuff out if you haven't read it! And please leave me a message after the button. PS I don't own! Although I wish I owned a Pizza Express and a Pret.

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**Part 2 Chapter 3**

Gene didn't realize his stomach could literally fall to the floor, but as soon as her voice rang out through the hallway he was certain the floor was right where it was sitting. It was one thing to fight with his brother, which was long in coming. It was another thing to fight over Mai, which was probably to be expected also. But to fight over Mai with his brother in front of her. Well, that wasn't what he had ever wanted to do. Mai had this knack for blaming herself for anything and everything. Things that weren't even in her control she found a way to hold inside and twist until she truly believed it was her fault. It was what made her such a kind person, but it was also what made her so dangerous. She was unpredictable because he never quite knew what she was thinking.

Today, he didn't have to guess. She thought it was her fault that he and Noll where fighting. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Granted, she was the catalyst, but this was something that had been lurking under the surface for years. The two had set up roles for each other. Noll would control the situation and take the lead. Gene would smooth things over with the rest of the world and roll over anytime Noll wanted something. He always had to keep his brother in check. He had to smile and understand. Quite frankly, he was sick of understanding. The only thing he wanted to do right now was punch his brother in between the eyes. Someone needed to knock some sense in him and make him realize he couldn't just treat people however the hell he wanted to. Noll was infuriating and Gene just happened to be taking his stand when it came to Mai. His brother had treated her abysmally for years and now he thought he could stake a claim on her? Gene was the one that cared. Gene was the one that loved her. Noll could rot in the literal or metaphorical hell for all he cared. He was sick of being the understanding and giving twin. He was going to be selfish for once and Noll would just have to shut up and roll over.

"Mai, don't be silly." Luella smiled over at her boys. "I'll kick them out before you ever leave."

Mai's eyes widened and he mouth hung open slightly. Gene couldn't help but glance at his brother. It seemed they were both mentally sharing Mai's expression. Their mother never joked about things like that.

Luella's eyes tore through the two boys menacingly. "In fact, they are both above the age of consent. Normal kids would be taking their gap year and living on their own in some exotic place making their way before continuing on to university. Both of my dear boys have advanced degrees already and are considered men in polite society. I'd say it's about time they move out and support themselves. At least for a year."

"I did take a gap year, Mother. Remember me gallivanting off to Japan at age 17?" Gene almost wished he could take those words back as Mai flinched. The reality of that trip was very different for his family than it was for Mai and himself, but it made his point. He wouldn't let her try to use such a weak argument against him. Maybe he wasn't as headstrong or believed in logic quite as much as his brother, but he wouldn't let the wool be pulled over his eyes.

"Gene, dear, that was two months and you didn't really have a job. You were acting medium for some of your father's friends. You should have been working at a Pret A Manger or something supporting yourself and living in a flat with five other people."

"They don't have Pret in Japan." Gene mumbled to himself.

Luella raised an eyebrow in challenge. "It's the idea of the matter, dearest. You know I don't mean literally. Gap year is about learning to struggle on your own and start fresh."

Noll stepped forward. "We did do that when we went looking for Mai. Gene, Lin, and I opened the Japanese branch of the SPR. It was lucrative and we lived on our own."

Martin shook his head. "Starting your own business is admirable, boys, but Lin played chaperone and once again it defeats the purpose of gap year." He shook his head again. "Why are we even talking about gap year? I'm certain that wasn't where you were going with this, Luella."

She nodded slightly before turning back to Mai. "You have worked so hard and given up so much. I know you've taken care of yourself since before you were even a teenager and it is probably hard to let us take care of you, but you have to let me. It's all I could ever do to repay you." Luella was always one for the dramatics, but she truly loved the girl like her own. She leaned closer to the smaller girl who still found herself unable to shake the shock of the idea of the Davis twins being kicked out of their own house. "And truth be told I always wanted a daughter over a son." She smiled brightly and squeezed Mai's shoulder gently.

"I couldn't-" Mai started to protest. She had felt a little uncomfortable taking all the generosity and attention from the Davis parents. Neither of the twins had said anything to make her think that it took away from the attention that they were normally given or expected, but she couldn't help but feel bad about the situation. She knew what it was like to lose the attention of parents. Granted both of her parents had died, but she knew that hollow feeling that went along with it.

And it seemed that both of the Davis' instinctively saw that and were trying to fill the hole. Luella spent the hours that Mai wasn't in testing shopping or just talking with her. Mai hadn't realized how much she missed having a mother until Luella came into her life. She always supposed Ayako was the closest to a mother she would get again, but now that she had this experience she could see that Ayako was the older sister type. Luella was most definitely a mother. And Martin was more than a father. Sometimes she couldn't even remember her father. His face was vague because he had died when she was so young. But Martin filled a hole she didn't even know existed. In the months she was living with him he easily slipped into the role and seemed to revel in it. She guessed the twins never gave him much of a chance to father them. They were too "mature" for their own good. She asked his advice and he was more than happy to give it and encourage her. He had already signed her up for a tutor and she was finishing her A-levels and he had already started talk of university and which ones he thought would suit her best. When she had argued about the money it would take to attend any of them he simply waved his hand and continued like she hadn't spoken. It was obvious he had already decided that he and Luella would be putting her through all of her schooling. He seemed to genuinely care about her and when she had stated that she'd like to study psychology she was almost certain he was going to burst with pride. The next day when she had gone to his study to ask for help on a math question she was met with stacks of information on all of the psychology programs in the UK.

Martin waved his hand as he cut off her statement. "I already consider you a daughter and I couldn't have you moving out on your own, especially with your exams coming up so soon." He ignored as both of his sons turned to him in question. Neither needed to know about Mai's schooling so he simply hadn't told them it was between him, Mai, and Luella. "And to tell the truth, I almost agree with Luella about letting the boys experience life on their own. They certainly need to mature a bit. I've never been so embarrassed by them before. You should have seen and heard them, Lue. It was like watching twelve year olds go at it in a school yard."

"Oh, I didn't need to see it. I most certainly could hear it. You two need to remember that observation rooms are not sound proof, especially when the intercom is on."

Noll had never felt so embarrassed in his entire life. Oliver Davis didn't embarrass himself and yet here he was acting like a child in front of colleagues and a girl that he most certainly did not want knowing about any childish behavior. He tried to stand up straighter and steadied his expression. He didn't want to make the situation any worse than it already was. And he most certainly didn't want to get kicked out of his house over his spat with his brother. "Mum. Dad. I'm sorry. Gene and I got a little heated, but it won't happen again. And Mai, please don't leave on our accounts." He felt the need to add something about her not taking it to heart, but he couldn't bring himself to. He didn't know her enough and it simply wasn't in his character. He always left that to Gene, although right now he wasn't sure he wanted to. He had a sneaking suspicion that Gene was acting like a divorced parent whispering in the ear of their child trying to get them to choose favorites.

Mai eyed him warily. Naru was so similar to who he was in the old life, yet different. Old Naru wouldn't be caught dead apologizing to anyone and would not get in an argument even if his life depended on it. Yet he was still of man of little words and immense pride. And no matter how much she tried to ignore it he still was able to draw her in with a simple look. He radiated this strength and this ability to protect that she longed for. He looked almost the same; just a few years older those years were kind to him. The biggest difference that she could see was the look in his eyes. Even in his unhappiness with the situation she could see a light there that was absent with the death of his brother. She almost wanted to laugh sometimes. It was easier to love this Naru and she didn't even know him. She saw Gene fidget out of the corner of her eye and immediately felt bad. She loved Gene like a brother and she wasn't blind to his feelings towards her. It would be so easy to love him if his brother wasn't around. So easy.

"Yes, Mum, Dad, I apologize also. We should have waited to settle our differences in private and in a calm manner. And Noll I'm sorry you think I've been hiding Mai from you." Gene smiled brightly at Mai. "And Mai, please don't think of moving out. I know my parents love having you around and you know I do to. I'm sorry for the way Noll and I have been acting. I never meant to make you feel bad."

Martin closed his eyes tightly. Gene's choice of words were not lost on him. He apologized for both of them, but then firmly left his brother out when it really came down to it and when it really mattered. He was subtly implying that Noll had meant to make her feel bad. It was passive aggressive and something he hadn't ever seen Gene do flat out. He was starting to feel like Noll's anger was more founded than he originally thought. Gene seemed to think he had the disadvantage and was doing anything to overcome that and Noll had no idea how to react. He couldn't get too involved. The boys did need to settle it themselves, but he couldn't leave things the way they were. Both boys obviously needed a fair chance and hiding Mai away wasn't giving Naru one. At this rate, though, he was starting to hope she would choose neither of them. It would serve them right. "We won't kick you boys out, yet, but I do believe you need an attitude adjustment especially around Mai. We aren't going to play this little game you two have started. And I think the best way to do that is by going out to dinner as a family."

Luella clapped her hands together. "Pizza Express!"

"Mum." Noll complained lowly shaking his head. If his mother could go there she would every day. He didn't see what was so great about the pizza place.

"I love their dough balls and I haven't taken Mai there yet! Oh it's wonderful, Mai, you'll love it! Lin would you like to get dinner with us?"

Lin glanced at the small group in the hallway. He could tell this dinner was going to be trouble, but he did want to know how Mai did during the experiment since he was forced to miss it. He nodded slightly eliciting a squeal of glee from Luella who latched on to Mai's arm and started to tug her out of the building. He started to follow before glancing back at the two twins, who were still glaring at each other. It was going to be a long night.


	11. Part 2 Chapter 4

**Chibi-Kari:** Well, trying to upload this chapter was very difficult! It kept telling me that it could not convert the document (a .doc). Crazy! Anyway just a short little update to add tension between the Davis brothers and even the playing field a bit for Noll! I don't own, but please keep enjoying. And feedback is like air to me!

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**Chapter 4**

Noll was in a bad mood and they hadn't even ordered yet. It didn't help that he was seated firmly in between his brother and father whereas Mai was situated between Lin and his mother. At least he could say he was directly across from her unlike Gene. "Mother, that was completely unnecessary."

Gene scowled slightly. "I have to agree. Taking the tube was a waste of time! We spent more time walking to and from the stations than on the actual train. And that's even counting how long it took to transfer from the Circle to the Central line! Hiring a taxi would have been a much better option."

Luella waved a hand dismissively. "Mai hasn't often been on the tube often and she hasn't experienced walking up from Tottenham Court Road underground station and seeing the Centre Point rise above her!"

"Yes, because everyone needs to be cramped into a small space sharing God knows what with everyone around you. And, Mother, it isn't even the largest building in London! There were plenty of Pizza Expresses near where we were. There was no reason to come all the way to the British Museum to go down a little alley to get to a Pizza Express!" Noll protested and Gene nodded in return.

"She hasn't seen the British Museum, either." Luella raised an eyebrow before turning her attention to Mai. "It seems that both of them are in agreement when ganging up on me, don't you agree Mai?"

Mai raised her hand to cover the smile making its way on to her face. She knew that Luella was playing with her two sons and she had to admit that she wished could think of these things too. "It seems so."

Martin leaned back in his chair smiling slightly. He knew exactly what his wife was doing and could tell Mai had caught on quickly. His two sons, on the other hand, still seemed oblivious. Even if her distractions were well meaning it was exactly times like these he loved to tease his dear wife. "Dear, you know I believe your plans are ingenious, but this one I'm not sure I stand behind. I know you've been jealous that Mai and I have been touring all of the museums and you've been wanting to come, but looking at the outside of a museum is not the same as seeing all the wonders inside."

Mai started to laugh at the affronted look on Luella's face. "I don't think any museum will be able to top the V&A. No matter how impressive the outside is. But Dr. Davis, isn't the aesthetics a part of the experience?" Mai tried to sooth Luella's now twitching eye.

"A part, my dear. Not the whole. And what have I told you about calling me Dr. Davis." Martin said kindly causing Mai to blush. "You are all girl. The only reason you enjoyed the V&A so much was the clothes."

Mai's eyes widened as she laughed lightly. "No! I found the café garden lovely, too."

"You've been bringing her to museums?" Gene asked numbly. He wasn't sure how he had been missing so much time with her. It didn't seem like she should have had time to go places without him. His father must have been sneaking her out which was completely unfair…granted he was doing something similar with his own brother.

Martin turned to his son with a wicked gleam in his eye. "Of course! Lin brings her by after the meetings and we go off into the unknown to expand her educational and cultural horizons!"

Luella crossed her arms and looked sourly at her husband. "All alone I might add! I don't even get to enjoy that time with them."

Mai placed a small hand on her arm. "Not all alone. Lin joined us at the V&A and a few weeks ago at the National Gallery." Lin edged away from the table eyeing Luella carefully. He really didn't want to be dragged into this, but he wouldn't trade the experience of Mai staring into a piece of art with such an amazed look in her eyes. And her perspective was so vastly different than anything he could even imagine. Going with her was like experiencing everything with new eyes.

Luella wailed dramatically as she swung her arm to cover her eyes. "That only makes it worse! Why would you want to go anywhere with the two of them?"

Martin raised his hands slightly. "Okay. Okay, dear. How about we make these family outings? Of course the boys never seem to want to go to museums so I assume it would be the three of us and Lin occasionally, of course. But you have to promise that we won't go gallivanting down to the shopping districts and the markets every time we go out. Even my pocket book can't take it."

Noll's eyes had been trained on his brother ever since their parents had started bickering. It seemed Gene was just as out of the loop as he was and that made him feel slightly better. Only a bit at that. Plus, his brother now felt what he had when Mai had been hidden. It was karma and he couldn't help the smug feeling that engulfed him at the thought. He also figured out what his mother and father had been doing. Distracting the two of them wasn't an easy task, but years of practice had proven his parents up to the challenge. He was vaguely impressed if not a little embarrassed by the scene they were making in the middle of the small Pizza Express.

Noll almost laughed as he heard he brother groan, "Someone get me some alcohol."

Although not the best way to deal with their parents when they got like this it was rather effective as he found out at their cousin Lorna's wedding last June.

His attention was immediately brought back to the scene when he felt Mai's eyes trained on him. She did know him rather well. He let a small smirk lift the corners of his mouth before turning to his father. "Dad, I think I will join you. I've been hidden away in the recesses of the office working on my paper and now is as good of a time as any to take some time and appreciate history without having to exorcise some part of it."

Gene bristled next to him. "I'll come, too!"

Martin eyed the two of them in slight wonder. He hadn't expected either of them to actually come. It seemed that Mai made them much more sociable, at least with their parents…not that they were currently fit to go out into society. He eyed them, "Well then we will. Of course, Mai, you'll have to study harder for your math exam. It does seem like your weakest subject."

Mai's ears burned as she glanced down at the pizza that had been set in front of her courtesy of Luella's quick ordering skills.

"You're having trouble?" Noll's comment was quick and for once Mai didn't detect a judgment on his part. "I did well when I sat for exams. I'd be more than happy to help you study."

Luella glanced at Gene quickly before looking back at her other son. "What a wonderful idea, Noll! How very kind of you!"

Lin glanced around the table. If looks could kill or Gene had Noll's PK Noll would be dead already.


	12. Part 2 Chapter 5

**Chibi-Kari:** What have I been up to? Well going through a really hard time in my life. Work got increasingly toxic until I gave up and found a new job. That job was great, but they were overworking me with no overtime and I hated where I was living. My parents decided to fund me going back to school because they could see how unhappy I was and how it wasn't just going to change without a move. Now, I'm back in a city I love studying something I love. It had been so long since I had touched any of my fics, but then one day I was walking to school and passed by a wonderful looking abandoned hospital and I found new direction for this fic! I do feel terrible for having such a gap in time, but I just couldn't write. I do hope people are still reading this and aren't too terribly upset with me over the hiatus. I still don't own and all characters are fictional, I just put them in the real world for fun!

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**Alive Part 2**

**Chapter 5**

It was week two of tutoring and Mai was certain she was going to lose her mind. Screw being a psychologist. She was going to be lucky to pass her A-levels with the amount of stress she was under. It was bad enough that one Oliver Davis was helping her study for her course in mathematics. But that simply wasn't the worst of it. Gene had taken to reading, and she used that term loosely, in a corner chair and periodically aiming snide comments towards his brother. Madoka and Luella took to chatting over tea in the small room directly to the left of the table she and her tutor were using. Their sly looks and conversations were starting to grate on her nerves. It was as if the entire room was trying to catch her attention at one point or another. It was distracting to say the least.

"So we have to solve for the slope of the line given 5x - 5y = 7. What do we do first?"

Mai groaned. Slopes…not her favorite part of algebra. Actually, her least favorite. "Use a formula?"

She could tell from the look on his face that he was trying to be as patient as possible. "Okay. Which one would you use to find the slope?"

Mai could feel herself on the tip of the answer. She studied so hard why she couldn't just remember this simple fact was beyond her. There were just too many numbers and letters in algebra. And formulas. Way too many formulas.

"You know she has trouble with slopes. Just walk her through it again." Mai hung her head as Gene's voice ripped through the room.

She heard the chair skid roughly on the wood floor. "I can't just walk her through this. She has to learn. I won't be there to hold her hand through the test. She knows this; she just needs to remember."

"M is the slope right? So we have to find m." Mai cut in before the boys could start really yelling at each other. She did have to learn this and half of her study time was a fight between the twins. It was more of a waste of time than a tutoring session.

She felt Noll's eyes on her. "What form does the equation have to be in to find m?"

Mai glanced back to see Gene sulking. Although she hated seeing him look like that, it did mean she was on the right track. "y = mx + b?"

"Do it then." He gestured at the piece of scrap paper in front of them.

She scratched on the paper for a few moments, listening to the bustle of the two women in the room next door. Although distracting, it was nice to have this much life in a house. She had missed that and it hurt to think of what it had to have been like here without Gene. "This can't be right."

"Why?" That was the good thing about her tutor, he rarely gave away anything. He honestly wanted her to find the answers herself. It was similar to her Naru, but so different. He used to enjoy being condescending when she didn't understand something, yet he did always hear her out completely. The man sitting in front of her kept the condescending to a minimum. It was a little unsettling, but she wouldn't complain.

"Well 7/5 is a horrible fraction. That can't be right can it?" Mai rubbed her eyes roughly. She thought she was starting to understand for once.

"7/5 isn't the slope." Noll patiently supplied waiting for her to get to the answer.

"I know that. It's b, but still that doesn't seem right. The slope would be 1." That was too simple. And simple was rarely right, or at least in Mai's experience.

"The slope is one. And although you don't want to believe it 7/5 is b. Just because a fraction seems illogical doesn't mean you are doing something wrong. That's just algebra." He watched her quietly for a moment. "That's enough for a day. You're doing much better."

Mai nodded slightly as she leaned back in the chair and rubbed her face harshly. If algebra wasn't already bad enough, she hadn't gotten enough sleep in almost a week. The same dream was haunting her sleep.

She was always in a large white room, never seeing the entirety, but could hear the screams. She was rooted in the spot, cold seeping onto her bones from the surrounding air. Then she would see a man in a white coat walk in, his hands holding a metal canister that vaguely reminded her of a watering canister. He would start spraying the room with something a fine mist settling over everything, ignoring the voices and screams coming from the room. Everyone and everywhere would be covered and no one minded. Whatever was happening was normal for the room. So clinical. It was always with that thought that she found herself able to move and would turn to look at what was going on and suddenly be in a different area of what obviously was some sort of hospital.

She would be among women who were sitting quietly with cards held firmly in their hands. Some looking at the vibrant yellow walls, others looking at the ground glass adorning the window edges. It was calmer, nothing like what Mai assumed was the operating room, but something was still wrong. It was right under the surface. She could feel it thrumming. She wasn't sure why she was sitting among the women and holding her own card, but she always did. She never questioned it until she awoke. As her name was called and she stood to follow the path she had seen women take before she would find herself outside a massive red building.

The brick rose ruthlessly towards the grey sky. She would be struck by the beauty of the colours and the strength that was held in the brick and then the screaming would begin. It always seemed as if the entire building was convulsing in terror as hundreds of voices climbed to a crescendo. Then she would wake up with the same two phrases ringing through her mind: Samaritan Hospital; Marylebone Road.

Last night after the dream she had pulled herself from her warm bed and scrambled to her computer. With a few clicks of a button she found it. There in zone 1 London on Marylebone Road. It was abandoned, but she still felt like she needed to see it. To understand what it was calling her there. TFL had given her directions from the closest underground station: Edgeware Road. She just had to get the Hammersmith and City line exit the station to the left and it wouldn't be a far walk up Marylebone Road. There was a public library nearby too. That was the perfect excuse to be in the area. She just had to find a way to get out unaccompanied. That was the hard part. It seemed she couldn't go anywhere with someone else or many times four other people. If Gene wanted to go, Naru would be sure to follow. If both of them were there, Luella and Madoka weren't far behind. She once went on a terrible excursion to Camden Town with everyone including Lin and Dr. Davis. She didn't even want to relive it! Embarrassment was an understatement. Although she didn't want to repeat that instance, she also had to do this alone.

"I think I'm going to go to the library." Mai let the statement hang in the air. Maybe no one would want to go with her.

"I could use a leisure reading book." Noll said quickly before glancing back at Gene. He had just gone to the library the day before. His scowling face showed that even he knew he didn't have an excuse to accompany her.

Mai blinked. She hadn't expected Noll to try to come with her on such a flimsy excuse. She couldn't remember him ever holding a book that had nothing to do with research, but now that she thought of it, she had seen him out in the garden just last week with what looked like a paperback. There was no way she could stop by the hospital with him around. He was still her Naru in that respect.

"Not today. You said you would work on Dr. Lewis' paper today." Martin seemed to materialize out of nowhere and winked at her. He was Mai's solace in the craze that was the house. He understood that she needed some time alone. She had spent so much of her life alone and suddenly she was surrounded all the time. It felt suffocating at times, but she would take that suffocation over the ache and loneliness she had felt before.

Mai found herself smiling at him in relief. He was everything she wished to have in a father. Strong, understanding, supportive, and kind. He balanced out the pure joy that seemed to be Luella. She walked in a room and it seemed to come alive with energy. Mai couldn't help but love the woman for it. And Gene and Oliver were…well themselves. There wasn't anything she could do to describe them.

"Why don't we let Mai have the day to study quietly in a library or maybe take a break and read a book."

"Martin, dear, Mai's still so new to London. I don't think she should just be taking off on her own." Luella seemed moments away from getting her purse and coat.

"I think she has a mobile phone and an oyster card. She's more than capable of finding her way around or contacting one of us if she can't." Martin then turned towards Mai and she felt herself sitting up straighter. She hated lying to him. She could almost feel the disappointment she knew he would have if he knew what she was planning on doing. "Just don't go out of zone 1 and if you feel uncomfortable get yourself out of the situation. I know you've lived in a city before, but you're not from here and people will take advantage of that."

Mai nodded and picked up her math book for show. "Stay in zone 1. Got it." She needed to go now before she lost her nerve or told him what she was really going to do, but at least she could promise him that.

The ride seemed much shorter than it actually was. It seemed she had just sat on the small blue cushion before standing on the platform of Edgeware Road Station. She could feel a dread pool in her stomach as she took the few steps towards the way out. And in moments she was through the turnstiles and was spit out onto the street. Turning left she crossed the road to avoid the construction and started down the road. Coming up to the major road she turn left and started towards where she knew the hospital would be waiting, the red brick rising above her. It wasn't a long walk before the road shifted to the right and within a few more steps she saw it there on her right and the only thing she could think to do was run away.

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**TBC**

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**Chibi-Kari:** Feedback is always welcome!


	13. Part 2 Chapter 6

**Chibi-Kari:** Wow. I got that out pretty fast, although it was harder than I thought it would be. It was hard writing these two characters together…they don't have much interaction normally, especially in my fics. I don't own, but I hope that everyone still in enjoys!

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**Alive Part 2**

**Capter 6**

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Mai stumbled back from the steps. Her legs were shaking as she continued her backwards decent from the stairs. Her feet pounded heavily as she hit the sidewalk. Somewhere in her mind, she knew she was about to fall into oncoming traffic, but her feet wouldn't stop no matter how hard she commanded them to. She couldn't control her body; she could barely hear or see the world around her. All Mai could do was brace herself for what she hoped wouldn't be death by being run down in London.

Suddenly she stopped. Sound flooded back into her with the startling protest of a car horn. She could feel the air from the passing cab tousle her clothes. Looking to her right, she came face to face with Lin. His visible eye was widened as he kept a firm grip around her waist. They stayed glued firmly to the sidewalk for a moment. Mai almost leaning off the curb, Lin's arm the only thing keeping her off the street. After a moment more, Lin tugged her onto the sidewalk away from the cars barrelling down Marylebone Road.

Taking a shaky breath, Mai started to straighten out her clothes, "What are you doing out here, Lin?" Although her voice was shaking, she tried to play off the incident as if it hadn't happened. It was worth a shot. Lin was never the confrontational type…that was more Naru's speed.

"I believe the better question is what you are doing here." Lin's voice was a lot calmer than Mai's had been, but she knew that when he was measuring his words that he was angry. He would shout when Naru really pushed his buttons, but there were a few times when he was truly furious that she heard those measured tones. That was when Lin was really dangerous. Of course it had never really been directed towards her before. The worst she had ever gotten from him was cold and unfeeling.

Of course being Mai, his anger just made her angry. She straightened her shoulders. He couldn't say where she came and went. She wasn't a little girl. "The library." She pointed just up the road to where the library was.

Lin didn't even bother looking towards where she pointed. "Hmm."

Without any notice, he grabbed her by the elbow and started pulling her down the street with him. She glanced at him nervously. Maybe he was bringing her to the library. They were going in that direction. Very quickly, she realized that was most definitely not happening. He continued to drag her down the road, crossing over Baker Street before pulling her into a decent sized pub. It was crowed, but not enough to make it hard to hear each other.

Lin called over to the bartender, "Pint of Carlsberg for me and a coke for her."

Mai felt her mouth fall slack. "You're drinking?" First of all it was early and second, she'd never seen Lin take a drink in his entire life.

Lin sighed and shook his head slightly. "We aren't on a case, it's after one, and I think I'm going to need it to listen to you."

Mai's eyes narrowed. What did he think he knew? Her story was solid and he couldn't have seen anything. Not that it was his business.

The bartender placed the drinks in front of them and Lin spared a glance his way before turning to Mai. "Let's start with telling me why you were at an abandoned hospital."

Mai calmed herself. Lin couldn't know anything, but he was much more irritating now than when she knew him before. He never used to ask questions. He never tried to get in her business. Hell, she practically handed him the truth about what she was going to do for Gene on a silver plate and he pretended not to know a thing. "Going to the library…just like I said."

Lin's eyes narrowed and Mai started to question just how much he had seen. Could he have followed her? No. She was normally good about knowing that sort of thing. "I don't take kindly to being lied to."

"Well it's a good thing I'm not lying, then." She leaned back in the booth and took a sip of her coke. Persistence was Naru's forte, never Lin's. Surely his whole personality couldn't have changed. She'd just have to stick to her deny plan. It wasn't like she was ever going to that God forsaken place again. She'd dealt with a lot in her life-before and after the bargain-but whatever was there terrified her.

"You do realize I'm not stupid, don't you Mai?" It was a simple question, but she could now tell he was more than fishing. He did know something and he was playing with her. If he wanted to say something he should just say it.

Mai ground her teeth slightly. She could feel the resentment bubbling up in her. Why did he care? He never cared before. He didn't care when they worked together. He didn't care when they left her alone in Japan. He didn't care at all. And now. Now that she saved Gene and has some interesting powers, he thinks he can just waltz in her life and care. She could take care of herself despite what everyone thought. And he didn't know her. Despite thinking he did and spending the few outings and sessions with him, he would never know her. Know what she had been through. "I didn't know we were questioning your intelligence, just your listening skills."

Lin's hand slammed on the table and Mai couldn't stop herself from jumping in response. "You always thought you were sneakier than you ever were, but nonetheless, you go behind people's backs and do stupid things." Mai made to protest this, but Lin just continued. "You will let me finish. It's about time that someone told you this because no one else seems to want to. We've let you get away with acting like this for too long. Gene because he wants to keep you by him. Noll simply because he's trying his hardest to pay you back. Luella, Martin, Madoka, and everyone else because they know you have a good heart and adore you for it. But someone needs to tell you that you'll get yourself killed one of these days." Lin brought his hand up to his brow and started to rub furiously.

Mai couldn't stop the guilt that was starting to push away the resentment. She had scared him. "I just got a little dizzy and lost my balance while going to the library. Really, Lin. Sorry I scared you."

Lin just closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I was standing across the street when my shiki informed me you were standing by the hospital. I looked up and you had walked directly up the steps and had your hands on the door. Would you like to try again?"

"I thought the red brick was pretty? And I got dizzy because I looked straight up to see the top of the building?" Okay. So he knew a lot more than she thought. Hell, he obviously knew a lot more than he was even telling her now.

"How about you were attacked not dizzy?" Lin leaned forward and watched her closely. Something about this wasn't sitting well with him.

Mai laughed. "I wasn't attacked. If there's one thing I'm good at knowing it's when I'm going to get attacked."

Lin stared at her silently for a moment. "You were attacked. My shiki aren't wrong about that. Something powerful sent you backwards."

Mai furrowed her brow as she shook her head slightly. "No. I would have known."

"You were. Why didn't you stop once you got pushed?" Lin seemed just as confused as Mai felt.

"I wasn't pushed. I just." She tried to piece together the feelings in her head. "I just couldn't stop. I couldn't hear anything. I couldn't really see anything. I just couldn't stop. I knew there were cars, but I couldn't stop." The fear she felt standing there had returned. Mai tried to focus on her hands. There were shaking, yet she couldn't quite understand why. This all seemed so surreal, like it wasn't really happening. Not to her. "I-" She didn't know what to say.

"How did it feel?" Lin waited a moment, but Mai stayed silent. "What did you feel?" This was important. He knew Mai didn't make it a habit to just walk up to old buildings. Something must have been calling her. She was too untrained and much too powerful, so of course that would call to the darkness. Lin also knew she wasn't stupid, so whatever had called her there wasn't honest with its intentions at first or maybe at all. She did seem genuine in her confusion.

"Scared. Like nothing I've never felt before. When I was there, it was worse than Urado. I've-I've never been so scared, not even during the bargain." Mai's eyes still hadn't risen from her shaking hands.

Lin had to force himself to stay on the subject when he heard the word bargain. The only thing she could be referring to was Gene. He still didn't know how she did what she did, although he had asked once. Her lips were sealed on the subject. She didn't even respond when he had asked. The little he did know about it amounted to what Gene had told him and what he had heard from Lillian, a seer that was being trained under Dr. Davis who simply broke down into tears mumbling about the water when she first saw Mai. After that, she wouldn't go near Mai. But whatever the bargain and the water were, it wasn't what was important now. Whatever was in that hospital had lured Mai there once and with her luck, would get her there again. He'd just have to keep her away. He promised himself that once he found her again he would take responsibility for her. "Calm down. It's okay. You're safe."

Mai's eyes locked with his, "Don't tell them what happened. Please. Gene won't let me out alone again. Everyone, they'll be so disappointed I did this. I won't go again."

It went against his better judgement, but she was really starting to panic. "Fine, but no more secrets from me."

Mai nodded. The deal would have to stand for now.


	14. Part 2 Chapter 7

**Chibi-Kari**: I am not dead! I have just been going through a really tough part of my life. I have been getting a lot of questions on what writing style I use with many people saying it is strange, different, or interesting. It's actually a really common style of writing, so I find it shocking people are confused. I like to write from third-person omniscient. Thank you for sticking with me and I obviously don't own Ghost Hunt.

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**Alive**

**Chapter 7**

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Mai switched to her David Guetta playlist as she sped up slightly. She was on her last lap around the serpentine and was starting to feel the burn in her lungs and slight ache in her legs. But she always liked to finish her runs strong.

Her gaze flitted to the water, black and smooth like a window into the darkness. The early morning sun couldn't break into the depths of the water. She shook her head quickly. These types of thoughts weren't new for her, but they were growing more and more frequent. It was starting to get worrisome and with everything that had happened at that hospital now wasn't the time to focus on something so morbid. A splash stopped her in her tracks; one of the morning swimmers had fallen off the concrete and into the water. Mai couldn't help the small smile that flitted across her face as she felt Lin's shiki sidle back next to her.

"I won't tell him. Everyone needs a little mischief." She whispered to the small spirit as she picked up her pace again. It nudged her slightly in response. It wasn't the first time it had gotten bored on one of her runs and had gone off just a few metres to cause some trouble. But she never told Lin…although she was certain he knew. They were his familiars.

Mai tried to steady her pace. She would get back to where Lin was sitting in another minute. And then they would go to his car and head back to the Davis'. It had become their routine after the hospital fiasco. Lin didn't trust her and he had no issues making it apparent to her. But he was true to his word. He didn't tell any of the others and they were none the wiser to why he was tagging along on her runs. He actively encouraged exercise in his trainees, so it didn't surprise anyone that he would go with Mai to run. Everyone also knew the Chinese man liked to be outside when he could. This was a surprise considering how he acted while in Japan, but Mai figured it was because he didn't want to have to interact with more Japanese people than absolutely necessary.

"Ready?" Mai called as she jogged up to the table Lin was seated at, books strewn across the table and his laptop open.

"Give me a moment. I just want to finish this last paragraph."

Mai nodded slightly as she leaned back in the chair. Really she should have cooled down and stretched, but she didn't have the energy today. Truth be told, she was distracted. She could feel just how close the hospital was. She could be there in 15 minutes if she ran. Bringing her hand to her head, she rubbed her right temple harshly. The constant psychic throbbing was giving her a headache, but it was better to be at Hyde Park, her second choice, rather than her old running grounds of Regents Park. That was closer. Too close for the temptation. It wasn't that she wanted to go back, but it was like she was compelled to go. It was as if she stopped thinking for just a few seconds, she would find herself halfway there. She needed to go. But she couldn't. She didn't want to. And she promised.

"Is it bad today?" Lin's voice jolted her.

She looked up to find his eyes analyzing her carefully. "A little worse than normal."

Lin nodded. "My shiki were informing me that the entity is trying harder. It's getting stronger somehow."

That scared her. Why was it calling her? Why would it want her just to kill her as soon as she got near? That wasn't even logical. And in her experience, ghosts tended to at least hold on to some sick twisted form of logic. Whatever this was didn't have any. It wanted to destroy her. She could feel it in her bones. Why she couldn't distinguish that before still unnerved her. Whatever was there was bigger than she could handle and was really causing Lin's shiki a hard time trying to block it. And what did that say? Something bad she was sure.

"I don't want to find another running spot. I don't want to have to change my life because of this! What if it gets so strong that I can't even go to school in the city without being afraid of taking off towards the stupid hospital? I can't keep doing this, Lin!" It was overwhelming. Her life was sorting itself out from that mess it became after the bargain before this new mess decided to happen. Everything she had ever wanted was coming together and now she was trapped. Trapped by this force that was slowly taking over her life.

"Calm down. That won't happen." Lin caught her eyes, willing her to calm down. "I've been looking into the hospital. I haven't found anything yet, but don't worry. I'll figure this out."

Mai closed her eyes for a moment. Lin was the most powerful person she knew, but she could feel how big this was. And God forbid the twins got involved in this. It could become bad. So bad and she was sure of that. It was terrifying. She couldn't afford to have things go wrong again. She had fixed things once, but that was a onetime deal and she couldn't just go and do it again. Life didn't often give you second chances…and the price was always too steep.

Mai nodded slightly. "If you need any help."

"No." Lin said firmly. "I don't want you more involved than you already are. You heart is too kind and you'll read something that isn't the whole story and run off to try and fix it."

"I can promise I won't do that this time."

"You already did it once, so excuse me for not wanting to take that risk. I'll only keep quiet if you keep out of trouble and let me take care of this." Lin glanced at his watch. "It's time to go. The Professor texted me about an hour ago saying that he wanted us home by noon. He has some news. I'm thinking maybe he got a letter from one of the schools you applied to."

Mai nodded. Some good news right now would get her mind off of things and it was about that time of year. And Lin was right. He could figure this out she just had to trust in him. It was time to look to the future.

The walk to the car was quiet and Mai tried not to think about her orientation too much. There was a point in the drive that always felt like there was a rubber band stretched to the brink between her and the hospital and it was going to break and wound her. But they would break free from it and she would feel the psychic peace fall over her. She didn't want to share this with Lin. He had enough to worry about without knowing just how bad it was for her. Just how close she was to going back there even though she didn't want to.

"Mai." Lin shook her slightly.

"Did I fall asleep?" Mai asked as she stretched in the car. They were back already and she could see Luella tapping her foot from the front door.

"Yeah, just after we left the park. Have you been sleeping alright?" Lin eyed her carefully. He had a sneaking suspicion she wasn't telling him everything. The dream had to still be haunting her, but like always, she was tight lipped.

Mai looked up at him. He knew. She knew he knew. "No. I keep having the same dream."

Lin nodded slightly. "The same hospital dream?"

"Yes. It never changes. I've never had that happen. Of course, Gene used to show me what I needed to know and without him maybe I'm just useless." That fact had been bothering her for a few months. All her powers seemed to be growing and stabilizing, but her dreams were worse than before. She was pretty much hopeless. Of course, they weren't on any cases and that was when you always seemed to be able to do the most…with Gene's help of course.

Lin inhaled sharply. Gene? He'd never known Gene was her spirit guide. Did Noll know? "Gene was your spirit guide?"

Mai's brows furrowed. "Naru never told you? He found out right before you left. After that he not so subtly informed me that I was incorrect and didn't love him, but loved Gene." It was still a sore subject. Of course she wasn't sure if she loved either of them anymore. Or if she loved both. She didn't have time for feelings like love right now.

Lin nodded tightly. Of course he wouldn't have said anything then. He would have considered that all personal. And no one was privy to his personal issues except Gene…granted that wasn't so true anymore either. "He is one of the most socially stunted people I know. Don't hold on to anything he says for too long." He knew that must of her the girl. No matter how much Noll would want to deny it, the girl had loved him. She wouldn't have brought Gene back for him if she didn't. Gene might have confused her, the twins could give anyone emotional whiplash, but her feelings for the researcher were true.

"Come in already. Seriously, Martin is going to be upset if you don't come in. He's been pacing around the sitting room with the boys for the past hour." Luella's voice broke through the silence that had fallen between them.

"Coming!" Mai shouted back as she opened the car door. And launched herself towards the house. She didn't want to keep thinking about all of this. She needed some good news.

The three men in the sitting room looked up as she slumped into the couch. Lin and Luella followed in silently. Mai looked at the twins and Martin. They looked excited, but much too excited for this to be her news. Lin was wrong about that. She looked harder at Naru. Oh no. She knew what this was.

"Now that everyone has joined us: we have gotten a case from one of the local councils." Martin started. Mai felt her stomach drop and glanced at Lin who was just staring harshly at the wall. This was too convenient. "There is a hospital that the local council is going to reopen, but have heard some worrying things from construction workers so they have asked us to look into things."

Lin crossed his arms harshly. He knew the answer, but he didn't want to believe it possible. But it made sense. "Which hospital?"

Martin looked down at his notes. "Samaritan Hospital. It's on Marylebone Road in Zone 1."


	15. Part 2 Chapter 8

**Chibi-Kari**: Okay...where have I been and what have I been doing since I promised to update faster? Well I actually write on my phone while traveling around this beautiful city (aka I'm out of internet on the tube so I write using the note function). This is a wonderful thing until your phone dies...which mine did. It was a terrible experience and it involved my phone not backing up or staying on long enough for me to back it up. And well over 500 pounds later (and a new phone) I'm back up and running. Of course now I'm swamped with dissertation which is due in about a month, but don't worry, I'll still be typing away on my phone in the bowels of the city! Obviously I don't own Ghost Hunt, although I still wish I did. This is more of a filler chapter because I felt like I needed to get something up for you guys.

**Notice:** I never thought I would ask for a beta...but I'm asking for a beta. This will include spelling and grammar (in some respects...I know I write in fragments sometimes, but that's a style choice). It will also involve encouraging me to write faster via email aka help me prioritize...remember I do have a dissertation that does need to get done, though. If you're interested in helping me out, send me a PM with why you would be the best person for the job!

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**Chapter 8**

She stepped slowly over the threshold and on to the standard checkerboard tiled floor. Mai froze as the camera case hit her back firmly. She could feel it. It felt like the walls, the room, the entire hospital inhaled. Was waiting for her to make her next move. Or maybe waiting to make its own. It was stifling. She felt like she was being squeezed tightly. Mail blinked quickly before turning her head to try to spot Lin. She was starting to feel claustrophobic and she needed to tell him. Tell him just how aware the building was of her. Of them all.

"Feel anything?"

Mai jumped slightly as she turned to Gene. "I was just trying to remember where the base was."

Gene eyed her for a moment and she wasn't sure he would believe her.

"Down the hall on the right. You sure you don't feel anything? There are hundreds of ghosts here. Screaming. But it's different…they're different." He stared up the stairs. His gaze unfocused and distant. He was seeing something that she hoped she wouldn't be subjected to.

"No." He was distracted. That was good and probably the only reason she got away with the lie. They couldn't know what was happening. This was a case and it was better that they came than not. And she needed to be there in case something happened. And she knew it would.

"Come on." Lin placed a gentle hand on her back causing her to jump slightly.

Gene's head snapped over to look at them carefully. "What's going on?" He was the more observant of the twins in some respects. And Lin making Mai move was a flashing red light to him.

"I'll be having Mai help me setup the wards today. I'd like to try and help her learn to distinguish between the different types of magic. She's sensitive enough that it should come easily with a bit of practice." Lin lied smoothly as Mai let out a slight breath she was holding.

Gene continued to eye them. "Really-"

"I wasn't aware that I had to discuss these choices with you, Eugene." Lin ended the conversation succinctly before applying a little more pressure to Mai's back to get her moving.

When they were a few paces away, Mai glanced up at Lin, "That was a good lie."

Lin continued walking quickly. "What lie? You are going to learn the differences in types of magic. I'd already discussed this with Martin a fortnight ago."

"Oh." Mai mumbled slightly. Lin got mad when she kept anything from him, but there would never be an answer if she asked about her progress or what she would work on next. Lin was big on focus on what's in front of you. And if her intuition was right, he wasn't exactly planning her next lessons ahead of time. She didn't develop as smoothly as other psychics. Like everything she ever did, she was either at a standstill or moving lightning fast.

They were silent for a few minutes before Lin took a deep breath. "I wish I didn't have to say this to you, but I know I do. You will stay with me at all times during this case. I will send you to and pick you up from the room where you will be staying with Madoka and Luella. You will not wander around alone. You will not engage with Noll, get upset, and run away. In fact, avoid him and Gene while you're at it. They'll notice if you spend too much time with him. And contrary to popular belief, Noll can make his own tea and he will. You are my student and you will conduct yourself with the maturity and discipline that comes along with that."

Mai cringed slightly. There was no doubt that Lin knew her well…and he probably knew that no matter how hard she tried it wouldn't work out like that. Wishful thinking. He made it sound like she had a choice in the matter and that Naru never antagonized her or purposely sought her out. Although, he was better than before, he still liked to pick fights with her. If she didn't know better, she would think she was actually challenging him and that was why he would go out of his way to find her.

Lin placed his hand on the door to the base room, glanced back at her, and sighed. "Try your best at least."

Mai stood taller. "I'll do my best Lin-sensei." That didn't say that her best would be enough, but she was sure he would appreciate the effort.

The door opened and Mai had to blink several times to clear what she thought was a strange hallucination from her eyes. There before her, Naru was being ordered frantically around the room by his father. Martin wasn't standing idle either. The two men were furiously scampering around the base setting everything up. Naru always had everyone else setup the base when they went out on cases before so that only added to the strange sight before her.

"What's going on?" Mai mumbled half to herself as she just stared on.

"Trying to get everything up and running before mother comes in. She'll send everyone around trying to get everything setup to her impossible standards if it isn't done before she gets here." Gene's voice at her shoulder caused Mai to jump slightly.

"Son, don't just stand in the doorway. I think we only have about five minutes before your mother makes her appearance." Martin cringed slightly as he glanced back at the door, "Sweets, don't you need to help Madoka finish speaking with the site manager?"

"Oh I'm sure she can handle it just fine herself. Now you boys on the other hand need some help I'm most certain." Luella gently pushed past Lin, Mai, and Gene to enter the room.

"Mother, we have this taken care of. We wouldn't want Madoka to get lost alone would we?" Noll calmly spoke. It didn't escape anyone's notice when Gene paled and flinched at that.

"Oh? Is that so? But I see you don't mind your dear mother getting lost in this large haunted hospital?" Luella raised a delicate eyebrow and Mai had to keep herself from laughing.

"Of course not. I know you won't lose your way and just thought it prudent that you helped Madoka." Noll schooled his expression. He wasn't stupid…this was dangerous territory.

"Oh, but I'm completely helpless and have no sense of direction, Oliver?" Madoka appeared behind Mai, who just shook her head at this scene. She almost felt bad for Naru…almost.

Oliver just blinked at the two women in front of him just waiting for him to say the wrong thing. His brain was buzzing as he played out scenes in his head…all seemed to end with him at the wrong end of a very long feminist tirade.

Gene cringed slightly as he watched his brother try to dig his way out of this. Noll never quite knew when to keep his mouth shut and it would get him in trouble. He might be mad at his brother, but the case really was more pressing. "I think Noll was just attempting to encourage the buddy system. This place is a mess, Mum…Madoka. It probably would do best to keep together and not go out on our own."

Luella eyed Gene carefully before nodding. "Is it that bad, Gene?"

He couldn't explain exactly how bad it was, but he had never felt quite like this before. The haunting seemed more…substantial…than other hauntings and it made him uncomfortable. "Yes, but it's different. I've never seen anything like this. It's just…different." Words were failing him, but there was no way possible to explain it. He glanced over at Mai. She had to feel it. But instead of even paying attention to him, she was already helping Lin with the wards for the base.

Madoka and Luella nodded as they moved farthing in the room to help Martin finish setting up and Oliver came towards his twin.

"Thanks, Gene." Noll said softly eyeing the room. He knew he barely made it out of that. Gene just nodded slightly before walking towards his father. He looked back at his brother and mouthed 'tact' before dumping the camera he was holding at his father's feet.


	16. Part 2 Chapter 9

**Chibi-Kari:** Hi all! Lucky for you, I went to see The Conjuring with a friend and got the bejesus scared out of me! This of course put me in the mood for writing this fic! It also helped that my supervisor has been very happy with my work and so I took a few days off to relax. I, of course, don't own Ghost Hunt. I also am taking liberties with the history of the Samaritan Free Hospital for Women and Children. Although the history listed below is true, all specific characters and their stories will be made up. I also have no idea what the inside of the building looks like. No matter how much I googled, I couldn't come up with a picture...and as I don't plan to break in and get arrested, I'm going to be taking a few liberties and basing the interior on University College's old hospital. Which larger and probably nicer (as it was a teaching hospital) should be somewhat similar as it was built and used around the same time...and I've actually been in it!

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**Chapter 9**

"The Latin word for malevolent sorcery."

Mai leaned back to look at the plain ceiling as she attempted to remember. "Maleficium?"

She and Lin were on monitor duty and he had decided to put it to use testing her on the different types of magic and sorcery that he had asked her to study. Mai had to admit that it made the time go by quickly and Lin didn't get too mad when she couldn't remember an answer. It was almost a game…and it kept the boys away from them. Which was Lin's major goal. If one of the twins came by, she knew it would only be a few minutes before she was dragged off into the hospital to check on something with one of them and that was exactly what Lin wanted to avoid. His research was coming up with a lot of holes. The information on the hospital was surprisingly limited. Lin said that most of that was because it didn't become part of the NHS until the last 40s and was open for less than 50 years following.

Martin clapped his hands together, drawing the attention of the entire room. "I think it's time to share the information we have now. Lin?"

"All the cameras are in optimal locations. Night vision is active on the cameras in the lower rooms. All microphones are recording sound."

Martin nodded. "Brilliant. Madoka?"

Well there isn't much to find. Surprisingly, it has a short history for such an old looking building. Samaritan Free Hospital for Women and Children had the following objectives, "An In-department for the reception of poor Women afflicted with diseases peculiar to their sex, where they have home comforts and hospital treatment without publicity; also for Children suffering from non-contagious diseases. An Out-department for such diseases of Women and all diseases of Children. To furnish attendance to Poor Married Women at their own homes during their Confinements. Children are received as In-Patients at the Branch only." That of course came from an 1879 advertisement for the hospital. It opened in this building in July of 1889 and closed in 1997. And although it says outside Women and Children, in 1903 children ceased being treated and it was renamed Samaritan Free Hospital for Women. It was a specialist hospital that mostly did surgeries, but they did eventually open an outpatient department in 1905. They also moved their surgeries to an operating theatre, instead of a small room, in 1907. The hospital ended up being rather important and revolutionary in the gynaecological field. They were also a bit ahead of times…they had female medical staff in WWI." Madoka flipped through some pages. "There really isn't much else. A new extension was built in the 30s that housed a new ward, fourteen private rooms, and accommodation for about twenty nurses. It became part of the NHS in 48. And by the early 80s it was running about 80 beds. The only thing highly exceptional was their very low mortality rate for ovariotomies which was about 12%, well below King's and UCL's which was over 75%. Really this place shouldn't have a haunting like reported. It had a relatively short history and low mortality rate. Even before they moved to this building, they only had a reported 129 deaths in 1879…five years. That's pretty good for what they were dealing with back then."

Martin nodded slightly, "Gene?"

"It's hard to believe that history is true…"

"What do you mean, Gene?" Noll asked nudging his brother slightly when he trailed off.

Gene seemed to gaze through the closed door with a slight frown marring his face. "There are hundreds and hundreds of ghosts here. And children…so many children. You said it only served kids for less than twenty years?"

"Close to fifteen." Madoka affirmed.

"Were there surgeries performed on the children?"

Madoka riffled through the papers for a minute. "None that I could see and they made sure to state that they only treated children with non-contagious illnesses."

Gene shook his head slightly. "That can't be true. I saw a little boy earlier, couldn't have been more than ten, it was obvious that he died during a surgery of some sort. So if it isn't in the record, what were they doing here? And to have this many ghosts…something's not right. Not every spirit of the dead would have just stayed here…for this many to accumulate in only one hundred years. Something is wrong here. Something is deeper. And the ghosts. They aren't right either. They won't get close, not even the children, but they're watching. All of them are watching us. And there's this…I don't know how to describe it…heaviness about them. And I can feel this malevolent thing at the heart of it all. I can only describe it as a wound that's infected and spreading. That's not even a good analogy for this situation." Gene just shook his head.

Martin eyed his son again before nodding. "You think it's dangerous?" Gene glanced at the door again before nodding. "Well then as Gene said earlier, we'll be employing the buddy system. I want to get some walkthroughs going within the hour and see if we can flush out any more of the history. I thought I saw an archive on the plans."

"You did, it's in the basement." Lin responded.

"Splendid. I'll head down there in a bit with Noll to see if anything was left behind." Martin nodded to himself.

Noll glanced around the room before focusing on Mai, "I think we'll need more than just the two of us."

Mai watched Lin coil tightly. Everyone could see where this was going. Of course going down into the basement was going to happen over Lin's dead body.

"That's an idea. Of course I was just planning on bringing any materials we may find back upstairs to the base where it is warded." Martin eyed the situation carefully. He could see what his son wanted, but he wasn't blind and knew that it wasn't high on Lin's priority list.

"Well then, to help us bring things upstairs. And it would be beneficial to take someone with spiritual sensitivity, father. Neither of us would know if the situation became dangerous until it was too late. I'm sure Gene would be busy doing a walkthrough with Lin, so that would make Mai the perfect candidate." Oliver Davis smiled smugly to himself. Logic, no one can counter that.

"No." Lin's tone was final as he turned back to the monitors.

"Noll has a good plan, Lin. It would be beneficial to see what Mai can do on a real case, how her powers react, and you would be the best candidate to attend Gene's walkthrough." His son's plan was good and it was probably best to try and placate all parties involved early on. Noll wasn't going to take kindly to being denied. Neither of his boys seemed mature when it came to Mai, but if they were denied over a good idea…well his boys were too smart for their own good, nineteen years old or not.

Mai watched Lin's expression closely. She knew he had little patience and had been on the end of his wicked temper at the pub just a few weeks ago, but she was certain if looks could kill he would have murdered every male in The Davis Family. Mai immediately made a mental note to never question her teacher again.

Turning the chair around, slowly, Lin faced Martin. "I do believe I said no. As her teacher, I reserve full rights to what she can and cannot do on cases and in studies. I am standing with my response. Also, I believe it best to send Madoka with Gene."

"Why would Madoka go with Gene? That's illogical. You are the safest decision when it comes to protecting Gene on his walkthrough. And why shouldn't Mai come with us? It would be good to get her impressions on the hospital." Noll argued back.

"Noll, son, Lin does have the authority on Mai's movements as teacher. I will say, Lin, you've never gone out of your way to exercise your authority on a case before." Martin hadn't seen Lin's infamous short temper, but imagined he was coming close to seeing it. Some of the younger associates at BSPR would run frightened if they caught the Chinese man alone in the hallway and he had heard of one occasion where the twins had been on the receiving end.

"I've never had to in the past, that's true. Mai, though, has troubles with her powers so I cannot yet deem them ready to use in a case environment. On the other count, Madoka would be a much better assistant to Gene as my familiars and presence may be counterproductive. Madoka, on the other hand, my encourage some of the women or children to come close. She is much more suited to the situation." Lin stated calmly before turning his gaze to Noll, "Oliver, I think it best you don't assume I make decisions without thinking them through fully. I also suggest that you start to do the same."

The room was silent for a moment and Mai tried to concentrate solely on the monitors in front of her. It wasn't safe for her to leave the base. She knew that. Lin knew that. But no one else did. She just hoped that there wouldn't be many fights over it during the case. She didn't want to ruin anyone's relationship.

"One degree temperature drop in the Nurse's Quarters. Nothing on the monitors." Lin broke the awkward silence that had fallen on the room.

The reaction was instantaneous as Martin started outlining the route Madoka and Gene would go. The soft buzz of movement behind her relaxed Mai as she started to scan the monitors the way Lin had taught her.

"What's the difference between black magic and grey magic?" Lin questioned calmly after another moment.

"Black magic is spells cast for evil and selfish reasons while grey magic is cast for neither good nor bad reasons." It was a slightly superficial response, but Lin hadn't asked for detail.

"And why isn't anyone immediately investigating the temperature drop I just reported?"

"Because while one degree is substantial and noteworthy, it does not necessarily indicate activity. Temperature drops could be due to breezes or malfunctions in the thermometer itself."

Lin nodded. "And how likely are the different scenarios in this instance?"

Mai pondered this question for a moment. "I think it's likely that there is a presence there. While drafts are normally the most common reason temperatures lower, these old hospitals are notorious for having problems with properly ventilating rooms. And while it is possible that there is an issue with the thermometer, all of the tools should have been tested before we left for issues."

"I agree, so we should pay special attention to the monitor, but as I've taught you do not focus too heavily on it."

"Yes, if you look too hard you might trick yourself into seeing something or miss an instance on another monitor."

Lin nodded. "You're doing-" A loud bang rang out through the building. "Floor four room 41: a bed went across the room. A chair is floating about two metres off the ground in the same room."

"The camera, Noll." Martin shouted as he went for the door, Gene a step behind him.

The banging grew louder and the sounding of glass breaking started to echo through the speakers. "The Nurse's Quarters." Mai called to Luella and Madoka who were noting the movements in from 41 behind her.

"Lin." Madoka called calmly as she and Luella made their way to the remaining digital camera on the table.

Lin turned Mai's chair towards him as he stood up. "Do not leave this room. Not for anything. If you see something on the monitors, do not get up from this chair. Press the intercom button to activate the speaker on the camera. Do you understand? For no reason are you to leave this room. I don't care who calls to tell you to go anywhere. Do not leave this room."

"Yes. I'll stay here. I won't leave." Mai nodded. She didn't want to leave. Something was wrong. It was too early for this to be happening. Was it trying to split everyone up? Was it trying to get her alone?

"Okay. Let's go." Lin called the two women, who took off at a fast pace behind him.

Mai sighed slightly. She felt the room go empty. It was too quiet and although this room was the safest room in the building, it didn't feel that way at the moment. The old Board Room, now base room was starting to feel wrong. Focusing on the monitors in front of her, she tried to put the fear from her mind. Lin's wards were the best and from here she could watch and make sure everyone was safe.

Mai jumped and turned towards the open base room door. Had Lin left it open? Mai couldn't remember, but she could distinctly hear children's giggling from right outside the door.

The giggling continued for a moment more before one childish voice shushed the others and started to sing very slowly. "Half a pound of tuppenny rice. Half a pound of treacle."

The voice seemed to slow even more and quiet to almost a whisper as Mai backed her chair into the monitors. "That's the way the money goes. Pop! Goes the weasel."

Mai's mind went blank as a small hand gripped the doorframe. The small fingers curled around the wood, the fingertips well inside the base room's wards. "Come play with us."


	17. Part 2 Chapter 10

**Chibi-Kari:** Yes, I know this is short, but I couldn't sleep and wanted to procrastinate from my dissertation for just a little bit more. This is most likely the last update you'll get for the month as my dissertation is due on the 4th of September and I do really need to work on it (although I don't want to). Hopefully, there aren't too many typos or anything...it's rather late and I'm feeling really sleepy. I don't own Ghost Hunt, although I really really wish I did.

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**Chapter 10**

Breathe was the only word echoing through Mai's head. She was frozen as the hand wrapped itself farther around the wood molding. She could see what was happening, but she felt so detached. She hadn't been in this kind of danger on a case in what felt like forever. When the cases ended, when Naru and Lin went home, after the bargain, her days were easy. Playing with Tsuki, having discussions with the council. Learning. Thriving. Was she 100% happy? No. Could she have ever really been happy? Probably not. But was it a good life? Yes. For the rest of time, she could have lived knowing that she had made everyone happy. That they had lived good long lives.

"They can't have you." Tsuki's voice boomed through Mai's mind and suddenly she could breathe again.

She tried to quickly analyze the situation. The wards hadn't failed yet, but whatever that thing was outside the door was breaking them down quickly. She could try the nine cuts, but she wasn't absolutely sure it would work. Whatever was outside the door couldn't quite be classified as a ghost. She was certain of that. Glancing at the monitors, she could see the situation had gotten bad for the others. Instead of the simple instances of activity that they were moments before, now they were physical attacks. A distraction. She understood.

"Come play with us. We just want to play." The little voice whispered from the hallway. It was getting closer. Mai could see the dark shape that it took.

"No you don't." The words left her mouth without her volition. Suddenly she was more terrified. Now she had engaged whatever the hell that thing is.

"Of course we do. We want you to play with us always. To help us grow. You can take care of us." Several voices chorused.

She knew it hadn't been just one. She had known that from the beginning, but now that they were all talking to her the situation seemed all the more dire.

"We weren't supposed to die." One small voice seemed to move closer to the door as another small hand started to slide against the door.

"Protect yourself." Mai started as Tsuki's voice ripped through her mind again.

Mai nodded to herself. She couldn't engage these things in conversation and with the failing wards she needed to do something. Closing her eyes, she centred herself as the council had taught her so long ago. The spell came effortlessly from her lips and she felt things outside recoil. That would help the wards, but only for a short time. Lin needed to come back soon.

"That wasn't very nice." Mai could hear the pout in one of the voices. They sounded so real. Like real children, but they didn't feel like that. They were unclean but, like Gene had said, so very substantial.

She glanced up at the monitors again. Lin, Madoka, and Luella weren't visible anymore. She just hoped that meant they were on their way.

"Just come and play with us." The first voice came closer to the door again. She could see the small figure getting closer.

Mai's eyes widened, her support was failing quickly. She blinked thinking back to the spell. She had performed it just as Lung-san had taught her. He had said it could hold back the strongest ghost for an hour at least. Whatever this was, it was breaking through in less than five minutes.

A whistle pierced through the air and Mai let out a breath as she stumbled back into the chair. She could see Lin's shiki glow in the dark hallway as another quickly took her side in the room. It looked like a small dragon stalking through the air in front of her. The room started to shake as the things outside screamed. And then it was over. She could hear three sets of footsteps making their way to the room.

Lin arrived first, his eyes slightly widened as he scanned the room carefully. Madoka and Luella stumbled in after him looking extremely shaken.

"Are you alright?" Madoka panted slightly, making her way towards the couch near Mai. "I only saw a little bit of those ghosts outside the base. Were they trying to get in?"

Mai took a moment to regulate her breathing before turning to Lin who was now just staring at the open door. "The wards."

Lin looked back at her before turning to the papers stuck next to the inside of the doors. He shook his head slightly.

Martin and the twins appeared in the doorway only slightly glancing at Lin before they stepped around him to enter to room. "What's going on?" Martin asked slowly as he surveyed the other people in the room.

"Failed."

"What?" Martin asked turning to Lin, who was still looking at the door.

"The wards. They failed." Lin ripped one of the sheets off the wall before turning and walking back towards Mai. "How long did they last?"

Mai shook her head slightly. Now that he was closer, she could see that the sheet of what was once pristine paper had not only decayed, but seemed to have produced a dark pus like substance—as if it had been a wound that festered.

"Ten minutes? Fifteen minutes? When did they first start failing?" Lin waved the sheet slightly. The entire room had gone silent. Madoka and Luella's eyes were trained on the paper in Lin's hands, while Gene and Noll huddled around their father examining the other ward Gene had pulled off the wall.

"Immediately." Mai knew it wasn't what Lin wanted to hear, but he had already known it.

He closed his eyes before nodding sharply.

"How is that possible? These are Lin's best wards!" Madoka exclaimed as she started to stand from the couch she had earlier collapsed on.

"The spells I give to support the wards would give some time." Lin puzzled slightly, "But not enough. There's something else here. Another trace of magic."

Mai swallowed heavily. She hadn't wanted to tell Lin about the spell. It was the only spell Lung-san had taught her, but he had told her not to use it unless it was an emergency. She wasn't trained in magic and it was so easy to do something wrong because it was an art tied so closely to emotions. She didn't want to get lectured by Lin. He might be angry. He had only started teaching her the foundations of magic. They hadn't even begun to discuss spells or if she would ever even learn any. But there was no way getting around it. He would know.

Lin's eyes made their way to still form and he shook his head slightly. They would talk about it later. How she knew magic, he didn't know, but he could feel her signature now. His remaining spells were actually drawing strength from whatever she had said. It seemed to be causing them to recast one by one. But still, he would need to prepare something stronger. At least it was obvious why the wards had fallen. Why Gene had been so sure that there was something wrong with the haunting. It even explained the accumulation of spirits, but it wasn't a good answer. There was no doubt he saw what was outside of the room. And his shiki concured. But why this was happening was still a mystery.

Lin sighed slightly. They were out of their depths and things got a whole lot more dangerous. "My wards are for ghosts. That's why they fell. They have varying times they can be of any assistance for anything stronger than a ghost."

"Then what is this? Some sort of entity?" Oliver felt his professional mask slip into place. Things would get bad if that was true. If it was the case, he almost hoped his father would abandon the case. No one could get hurt. He would never forgive himself if anyone in this room got hurt.

"No." Lin shook his head. "Those things outside the door were revenants."


	18. Part 2 Chapter 11

**Chibi-Kari**: So another post because my dissertation is off at my proofers and I can't do anything until it comes back! The chapter is still a bit short, but I wanted to give you guys more about what was going on, what has happened, and what's going to happen! Plus, I wanted to talk about Lung-san some more! I don't own, but I love hearing your feedback! You guys are so supportive and I really thank you for that! Please let me know what you think of this and where the story is going! I didn't get a lot of time to do as much research into revenants as I wanted to, but it's still pretty solid fact-wise.

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**Part 2**

**Chapter 11**

"Revenants? Zombies. You're telling me zombies are in this hospital?" Gene couldn't stop himself from laughing slightly. If anything other than vampires were non-existent zombies were it.

"The only thing a revenant and a so called zombie have in common is that they both have physical substance. If zombies actually existed." Lin corrected harshly.

"Come on. The only time I've really heard about them since reading 12th century literature was the French show. The Returned or whatever was on BBC earlier this year." Gene persisted.

"Channel 4. It wasn't half bad." Madoka raised her hand slightly, dismissing Gene's thought. "Are you sure that it's revenants. I agree with Gene that it seems highly unlikely."

"My shiki confirm." Lin nodded. "I find it hard to believe, too. Don't think I made that statement lightly."

"We know you wouldn't, Lin." Martin seemed a bit shaken at the thought. "What do we even know about revenants?"

Noll cleared his throat as he glanced around the room. Lin was edgy and unnerved. His parents were attempting to stay calm. He could see that. Glancing at Madoka, he couldn't quite be sure what she was thinking. Her eyes were slightly unfocused as she looked up towards where the wards used to be. He would admit the fact that they had failed so completely was unsettling. Noll's eyes wandered to Mai's form. She was stiff, still, and if he had to hazard a guess somewhere between guilty and terrified. She was an open book. What she could be feeling guilty about, he couldn't fathom. And his brother, the other open book in the room, well he was having trouble grasping the concept of revenants, but that was unsurprising to Noll. They had made a list, years ago, of creatures they were sure could never exist and revenants were near the top. "Like Gene said they were greatly talked about in the Middle Ages by respected historians. Most of the stories seemed to rise from Great Britain. As the stories go, revenants are people that are brought back to life from some sort of evil source. These people while living were considered evil themselves, many because they simply didn't follow the religious beliefs of the time. Basically, these reanimated corpses go about and cause the death of the living, mostly by disease. They also don't seem to be confined to a certain time of day. Stories range from them coming out during day time to the dead of the night. From what I've read, it seems they come back to life because they were unjustly murdered and are seeking revenge, but of course we can't be certain of any of this."

"We need more information." Martin looked up to the ceiling for a moment, taking in the crisp white paint that was such a stark contrast to the dark wood molding of the room. "We're going to have to risk going to the archive room. Noll, Gene, I'll need you two. You're the only one besides Lin that has the ability to fight off anything with substance."

"I'm much better with paper than computers. You guys know that. I'll come too incase some quick decisions on what we need and don't need have to be made." Madoka smiled wryly.

"I should come to." Luella stood slightly.

"No, mother. We have enough." The last place Noll wanted his mother to be was out there when she didn't need to be. He couldn't imagine her getting hurt accidentally and with him the only protection on their makeshift group…it was a bit too much pressure.

"Lin needs to recast his wards. I can't be in here for that. You know they work better if undisturbed. And sweets, the more people we have down there going through the archives, the faster we can move."

"Then Mai should be coming, too." Gene stepped towards her, about to pull her up from the chair she was still in. He hadn't been able to get her opinion earlier on the hospital. It was impossible that she hadn't sensed anything and he let her get away with being nonchalant before. Now he could corner her and ask her what she saw and knew. She couldn't deny seeing these so called revenants when she was the only one in the room when the wards failed. Plus, he hadn't been able to spend much time with her lately. Lin and his family seemed to dominate all of her time.

"No. Mai's going to help me with the wards. Remember that was the reason I allowed her to come in the first place. She's going to be learning about the types of magic." Lin raised his hand again to stop Gene's bubbling complaint. At the moment all he wanted to do was curse puberty and hormones. Couldn't either of the twins leave her alone for two minutes? "My shiki know Mai and I can cast around one person without it having any ill effects on the wards. You should go quickly, though. The attack from earlier disrupted the energy flow and they weren't expecting it. Now is the safest time to move. Hypothetically of course. And I need to get these wards up quickly. Bring the mobile camera and a walkie-talkie, so we can monitor you from here. I'll also send a shiki incase I'm wrong about timing. I'd say you have about thirty maybe forty minutes of definite safe time. After that, maybe twenty minutes yellow time. You need to be back within an hour and a half. I don't want to risk anything more than that."

"We'll need a full hour." Martian looked clearly at his group.

Lin closed his eyes a moment. "It's pushing it, but yes I think you'll have it."

The room cleared quickly as they grabbed the camera and moved out. Lin busied himself for a moment turning on the monitor and making sure all the settings were clear so he could keep track of the group. Mai closed her eyes. She had been hoping for a little more time, but she wasn't about to try and go in the main hospital. She had done stupid things in the past, but she wasn't that stupid.

The room was silent for a moment before Lin turned his chair to face hers. "Care to tell me which spell you used and where you learned it?" Mai stayed silent and she could see Lin growing more and more impatient and angry. "How about why you decided to use it." He was no longer asking and Mai knew she needed to answer.

"I had to do something. The wards failed. I didn't know what to do. It was the only thing that came to mind." Mai felt defensive. What did he want her to do? Get taken? Die?

Lin closed his eyes briefly. "I'm not mad. You did what you had to do. But I need answers. I thought you didn't know anything about magic."

"I don't." Mai could tell Lin was about to argue that face, but she really didn't. "I only know that one spell. I don't even know what it is or does. I was told to only use it in emergencies and that it should help for about an hour, but I must have done it wrong because it was only lasting seconds."

Lin eyed her slightly. "It's still there. So you didn't do it wrong. It's strengthening and supporting my spells. I'm not entirely certain what it does, though. I've never encountered anything like it before. Who taught it to you? What else did they tell you?"

"A man named Lung-san." Mai heard Lin inhale harshly. "Do you know him? He's extremely smart and all about preparation." Mai smiled to herself slightly. He was a bit eccentric, but everyone on the commune was. That's what happened if you were around long enough, that's just simply what happened to you. He was a bit harsh, but helpful and really wanted to make sure everyone could take care of themselves if they needed to. Tsuki was especially fond of him-or as fond of him as that little girl was capable of being.

"He's a friend of my father's." Lin responded watching her closely. The man was strange, unsettling, and he couldn't be sure if he wasn't evil somewhere in there. Yet, here was Mai talking as if he was the grumpy old man from the house down the street.

"Ah so then you know how he is. All 'You must be prepared.'" She mocked his voice with a slight smile. "Well he taught me that spell and said it was protection and only to ever use it in emergencies. That's all he said. Centre yourself. Pull it from inside you being careful not to recognize your fear or anything else. And then cast it. It's the only spell he ever taught me."

Lin nodded slightly. That wasn't much more information than he already had. It was obvious that the spell was for protection, but it looked like it included more of a support aspect. It was almost like Lung had known she would be casting it behind someone else's magic. Lin shuddered slightly. That was probably true. But now the question was if she could do this again. If she could become a spell weaver. He had originally thought she could. That's why he was teaching her the basics, but it wasn't an easy art and she was emotional. Grabbing a small piece of paper Lin started to quickly write on it before sliding it over to her. "Centre yourself, let go of your emotions, and cast this."

Mai's eyes widened. "I can't. I don't know how. I don't even know what that says!"

Lin could feel her getting more upset by the moment. "No doubt. Just humour me, okay?" This was the most basic warding spell he knew. It could easily be cast to provide a light layer of protection. It wouldn't do any good in this situation, but it would allow him to know if she could do this on a regular basis. It was used for all children that were to learn the art. Depending on the results, a skilled practitioner could tell how much potential a student had. "It's just a simple protection spell. Nothing more and nothing less. I just want to see your potential."

Mai glanced at the monitor to look at where the other group was. They had just found the archive room and Mai was relieved that it was still filled with files and there appeared to be no danger. "Centre myself?"

From her peripheral vision, Mai could see Lin nod. "Centre yourself and let go of your emotions. Feel the environment. Your magic has to know what's around you. Don't worry, it will know your will. It is at its essence your subconscious will." That was a bit of a surface explanation and they both knew that.

Mai glanced at the paper long and hard, mumbling under her breath for a moment before closing her eyes and nodding.

Lin could feel the energy build and gather around him. The air in the room was stifling for a moment and then the feeling was gone. The room almost seemed to lighten as the spell set and a calmness that he had never felt associate with a spell seeped into the room.

"Was that right? Did I do it right?" Mai asked nervously from next to him.

Lin just nodded. Did she do it right on the first try? Absolutely. In fact, Lin was beginning to wonder if the other people he had seen do it before had been doing it wrong. The spell was flawless in the air around him and while stronger than he had imagined it being, it didn't hold the normal resistance to people and things that normally accompanied spells. Lin knew his father would know exactly why this happened; the man was one of the most skilled men in the world when it came to spells. While Lin personally didn't quite know what to make of what had just happened, one thing was certain. When his father heard about this, he was going to want to meet her and if Lin wasn't careful he would lose his student to his father.

"Here." Lin changed the subject by passing her some warding paper. "Copy what I do exactly. We're going to make a slightly different ward for the doorways and windows."


	19. Part 2 Chapter 12

**Chibi-Kari:** So…I said I would get another chapter out in December, but then realized after I finished part 2 (the next chapter) that this chapter had gone missing and had to rewrite it. I also had a much harder time after I finished school than I thought. Some really bad things happened to me and then I started working at a startup that stole all my time. Anyway, here is this chapter and the next is already written! So I'll put it up (tomorrow is the plan) soon! I'm also sure I'm going to need to edit this chapter, but I didn't want you guys to have to wait any longer. I don't own, but enjoy the feedback!

**Part 2 Chapter 12**

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The phone conversation with his father could only be described as tense and his whispered responses to his father's invasive questions were starting to annoy Lin. He hadn't wanted to call the man so soon, but Mai's wards were stronger than they should have been and he needed advice on what spells would be effective against revenants. Instead all he got was question after question about Mai. He was right when he thought his father would want to poach his student. But Lin had a plan. He would be just vague enough that his father couldn't get a clear idea of her. Yes, this would cause the man to be more curious about the girl, but Lin could hold him off for a while long enough to file paperwork with the BSPR that way his father couldn't take her without social repercussions. Of course now he was questioning why he hadn't thought of that sooner.

"Father. Really. We need to stay on topic. Revenants. We know a bit on them, but not enough."

His father's heavy sigh was audible through the phone. "I told you all I could with the spells. You aren't going to find anything that can hold them off for long periods of time. They have too much substance for that. Instead, you'll have to identify the leader…the first. Then find the body and remove the heart."

Lin shuffled his feet, not a habit he would normally indulge in, but he was frustrated. "There is no way to help us identify which is the original?"

"Not that I've heard of. A group of revenants like this is unfounded. Normally you know who the root of the problem is."

"Thank you for your time, Father." Lin couldn't waste any more time on this conversation. It was going nowhere, not that the fact truly surprised him. It was a longshot anyway.

"Koujo, just some fatherly advice-leave there. It's dangerous. Not just because revenants are unpredictable, violent, and altogether different. This girl-although you don't want to tell me about her I know she's powerful-she can't be there. Revenants want power and revenge. Those are the only two things they all actually want. No matter what they may say...they are twisted liars after all. I don't want to think of the consequences if she's taken. Leave. Go through the proper channels and get the building destroyed. It won't destroy the revenant, but then they'll have to go into hiding."

"We can't destroy the building, Father. The NHS is going to renovate and reopen it." Lin was exasperated. He had explained this to his father already. The man was really starting to develop selective hearing in his old age.

Lin's father scoffed. "Like they have the money for that. Well then leave. Regroup and plan outside of the hospital then and _do not_ let the girl come back."

His father's suggestion was only logical. "I agree. I'll try to convince the Davises."

"Do you need me to call Martin? I know how he can be."

"No, Father. I'll recommend it myself."

"Okay. And Koujo." His father pressed, wearing on his already frayed nerves.

"Yes." Lin really couldn't wait for this conversation to be over.

"When this case is finished you will call and tell me more about the girl."

Lin didn't even have time to respond as he was met with the dial tone. There wasn't any getting around this. His father would find out everything he needed to know about the girl. With a sigh, Lin slipped his phone back in his pocket and turned back to the base room door. It had been risky to stand outside the door, but it stayed silent.

"Was your father able to tell you anything useful, Lin?" Madoka questioned when he got back into the room.

"Nothing that we didn't already know. Although, he did suggest to leave and plan our attack from outside the hospital. I wholeheartedly agree with him. We aren't safe for long, even with the wards."

Martin looked at Lin for a few moments before nodding. "I agree. It may be safer to do more research from farther away. We have had a breakthrough while you were gone, though. Gene?"

Gene looked up from glowering at his brother. Noll was firmly seated between Mai and Gene. "We believe we've found the leader."

"Who?" Lin had a million questions, but this seemed like the best place to start.

"His name was Dr. Ikuya Kimura. He has the highest death rate on his record." Gene answered simply.

"Couldn't he have just been a bad doctor?" Madoka asked.

"A bad doctor would have a death rate of maybe 1% higher, not triple." Noll paused shuffling some of the papers in front of him. Mai slipping a sheet on top of the pile he was holding and was met with a nod of appreciation that didn't escape anyone's notice. "In fact, he has many reprimands in his file for experimentation on the corpses of the impoverished. Of course he claimed it was in the name of science. He was going to be let go a few months before the close of the hospital, but the records show him as missing after working late one night. There doesn't seem to be much of an enquiry into his disappearance, but due to his lack of popularity that doesn't seem like much of a surprise."

Lin nodded. It sounded like they had found the likely candidate.

"So we just have to find his body and take care of it." Gene said simply.

"It should be in the hospital if this is where he disappeared." Luella mused out loud.

"Maybe not, dear. He could have been taken away, but I'm inclined to agree with you." Martin ran a hand through his hair. This was a lot more complex than he had originally anticipated, a fact he would have normally enjoyed. Yet it was a bit too dangerous. He didn't relish placing his twins in a situation like this let alone Mai, who he had already internally named his daughter.

"For him to be so strong here, I would also concur." Noll added. He looked over at Mai. Whatever was here was already aware of her and that made him uncomfortable. He had already identified the knot in his stomach that formed when he thought of her getting injured. He cared for her deeply. The little time his brother had allowed them to be alone he had quickly identified a sort of need for her. Which of course made him want to send his brother away. And that frightened him. Gene was his other half. He wanted both of them around him, but he didn't want to deal with his brother's jealousy. It wasn't healthy for their relationship. Glancing at Mai one more time Noll said. "I agree with Lin that our plan of action should be outlined outside of the hospital for the safety of all of us."

Madoka nodded. "I can contact the local police station regarding their investigation into Dr. Kimura's disappearance. They're right around the corner and now that everything's computerized I should have some answers within the hour if they'll see me."

Luella nodded. "Please go ahead. The sooner this is done the better I will feel. We can pack up what we need from the base."

"Luella and I will walk you out for safety, dear." Martin nodded to his wife. "Boys, start packing the relevant files. I'd like to get out of here by the time Madoka gets back."

"Are we leaving the equipment?" Gene straightened.

"For now. It isn't often revenants are caught on tape, so this will be valuable research." Martin called as he herded the two women out of the room.

"Okay, let's get moving. We don't have much longer before they can break through. Do we have everything that we need in the base?" Lin paced the room. He really wanted to leave now. Something felt wrong and he really didn't have any way to judge when they might come back. "They might try to use what little power they have to trick us when we're leaving. Remember, they are deceitful. You hear a crying and lost child and decide to go to help meanwhile it sees another soul to take. They are twisted to a point where there is almost no human left inside them. So no matter what you hear or see on our way out you keep moving."

"Understood." Noll nodded. Lin was always firm on safety, which is what actually made him the best teacher for Mai. From the little he saw of her he could tell she was reckless and it terrified him, not that he planned on anyone finding out that fact.

Lin stared at Mai until she nodded. "I won't stop for anything."

"Okay. Let's get moving before the professor gets back. I want to get out of here as soon as possible."

Noll and Gene moved quickly as they gathered the papers in front of them.

"Mai come help me with the digital cameras and laptops. We don't need to leave those here." Mai nodded before crossing the room to help Lin. The twins definitely didn't need her help.

They worked in silence for a few minutes before Lin leaned close to her and whispered. "Stay near me and don't stop for anything on the way out."

"I won't, I promise." Mai nodded again. Staying here with those creatures was the last thing she wanted to do. Mai glanced back at the twins. It would be really terrible to be stuck with only them too. She shook her head to clear it. No matter how bad the twins were, this hospital was worse. She might just need to remind herself of that when they got really petty.

They worked in silence for a while before Gene's worried voice rang through the room. "Where are Mum and Dad?"

Lin glanced at the clock. It had been 45 minutes. That was too long for simply walking Madoka to the door.

"They texted that they were going to go with Madoka in case there was a lot to look through."

"Damn it, Oliver! When were you planning on sharing that?! I was worried!" Gene rounded on his brother.

Noll's eyes narrowed and his voice intoned evenly. "I'm holding my phone in my hand right now, aren't I? Does it escape your attention that I might have just found out and told you? Are you so unobservant that you couldn't check your phone before panicking or could you at least pretend to not believe I'm the anti-christ?"

Lin felt a furry build that he wasn't aware he had. "Will you both stop being such twats? We don't have time for you to row. Get working."

Mai flinched at Lin's voice. Everyone's nerves were running thin.

"I've finished." Gene held up a small brown case.

"Then help your brother." Lin snapped.

The room was silent except for the shuffling of files and equipment for a few minutes before Noll cleared his throat. "They're on their way back. There was camera footage showing him being attacked near his basement office, but officers couldn't identify how the attackers got in or where the body was moved to. Supposedly the corridor that the body was dragged into was a dead end. Officers didn't pursue it extensively because the hospital didn't want the inconvenience. They said that they'll tell us more when they get back."

Lin sighed. What he wouldn't give for a few more minutes of silence to think. This case was already complicated without factoring Mai into the equation. And in his opinion, the professor wasn't treating the situation with the care it needed. Of course he also didn't know all the facts. Lin glanced towards his student. She wouldn't be happy, but they were going to put everything on the metaphorical table when they got back to the house. "Are we ready then?"

"On our end." Gene said carefully.

"Then let's go. We'll meet them outside. Keep together." Lin commanded a little more gently. He hadn't meant to scare the normally boisterous twin.

Lin herded the group out the door, closing it firmly behind them. If he had his say, the wooden door and the massive red brick structure around it would be a smouldering wreck the next morning. Of course that would be impossible and irresponsible.

Nudged by a shiki, Lin's gaze snapped down the corridor. It was dark, but the form was there. They were awake and he needed to get everyone out of there as soon as possible. Although he wasn't with anyone that would unnecessarily panic, Lin decided not to rush them or alert them. If they stayed calm the revenants might not realize they were leaving. Hopefully.

"Martyn and Luella should be right outside, right?" Lin questioned carefully.

"Yes. From the time of the text message, I would assume so." Noll glanced out of the corner of his eye. Lin was being careful with his words. More careful than he had been before which could only mean that something was listening in.

"Then we shouldn't keep them waiting." Lin nodded at his questioning look. Noll was too smart. The hall seemed to stretch before them. It was taking much longer than Lin wanted.

He sighed in relief as the large doors came into view. They would make it. They had to. The last few steps felt like torture, but as Noll pushed the door open, Lin couldn't stop the smile from appearing on his face.

Just as Oliver and Gene stepped out, the brown case in Gene's hand flung backwards into Mai throwing her on her back. Her crash on to the grand tiles echoed loudly into the busy street. The three men turned away from Madoka and The Davises to grab her, but the doors slammed shut in front of them.

Lin cursed kicking the door harshly when it wouldn't open. "We have to get her out. We have to find another way in."

Martin nodded numbly. "We have to find how the people that killed the doctor got in. That's our only way in. The other entrances were closed off when the place was closed down."

Luella pulled the map out of the bag on her hip and spread it on the stone steps in front of them. "Maybe the map can give us a starting point to look from."

The group of adults were so intently looking at the map, they hadn't realised how silent the twins were until Gene's shout and fall caught their attention.

Martin turned to find Oliver looming over his other son, fist still raised in the air.

Luella's eyes widened as she moved to crouch in front of Gene who was now pinching his bleeding nose. "Noll!" She rebuked over her shoulder.

Noll couldn't even acknowledge his mother. His focus lay solely on his twin. Although he knew it wouldn't help anything, all he wanted to do is go after his brother again. "Why couldn't you just hold on to that bag tighter?" He finally spat out. He had just got Mai back. She had taken herself out of his life for his brother and now his brother had gone and lost her again. Noll felt the rage pounding through his body again. He went to leap at his twin again when his father caught him firmly with an arm around his midsection.

"This isn't your brother's fault and this most definitely isn't helping us get Mai back. Come look at the map with us. The more eyes we have the better off we'll be." Martin whispered quickly in his son's ear. He knew he had to diffuse the situation before it escalated. He had never seen Oliver lose his cool like this and wasn't sure he wanted to know what would happen if the situation escalated. This was his less emotional twin. His unflappable son. "We'll find her, son. We'll find her, but we need your help." Martin waited silently, ready to use real force to keep the boys apart if need be.

Noll exhaled before forcefully relaxing his body. He had to get her back. That was his first priority. He would get her back and then not let her out of his site again.

Martin let go of his son and Noll turned away from his twin towards the map Madoka and Lin were frozen next to. "Tell me what you found out."


End file.
